Naija News

ABUJA — Worried by the wastages associated with unattended projects across the country, the Federal Government, yesterday, revoked major road projects in the country, particularly those abandoned for years due to one reason or the other.
Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, who disclosed this in Abuja, when he received a delegation of Ogoni Council of Traditional Rulersfrom Rivers State, who visited him in his office, said the Federal Government would revoke major road projects, including the South-East Road, which had been abandoned for 10 years.
The minister regretted that the South East road had gulped N11billion, adding that an initial N6 billion was paid to the contractor with an additional N5 billion paid.
Onolememen said the 39km Bodo/Ogoni Road in Rivers State was awarded to GITTO Construction Company in 2002, noting that the projects did not enjoy yearly allocations from the Federal Government, yet the projected was engulfed in controversy in addition to technical issues surrounding it.
He said: "The project due to negligence had a lot of controversies involving the contractor, consultants and communal clashes, which led toits current state. The only option left for the Federal Government is to revoke the project and that was what the community had called for."
Onolememen noted that the ministry would ensure all the issues were resolved and work commenced on the road before the end of the year, adding: "The budget proposal this year forthe project is N1.14 billion to kick start the road rehabilitation."
He said the road with its economic importance and the only access to Bonny land was one of the prioritized projects to be completed in line with the road sector transformation agenda of government.
He assured the Ogoni people that the road would hence forth be properly monitored and funded and completed within the stipulated time.
He also called for collaboration between the Rivers State Government to ensure its speedy completion.
Speaking earlieron behalf of the Ogoni delegates, HRM Mene Kotex, the Diira Gbomemen Oboniland appealed to the Federal Government to investigate and revoke the abandoned South East Road, which he confirmed, was awarded to GITTO construction company in 2002 for rehabilitation.
"Our humble submission is that the road shouldbe re awarded to a more well intentioned and competent contracting company that would swiftly get the work done."
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