May 07, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has approved a N3bn Sukuk fund to finance the construction of Numan-Jalingo Road in Adamawa and Taraba states.
Minister of State for Works and Housing, Alhaji Muazu Sambo, made this known on Saturday, during an inspection of federal road projects within Taraba and Adamawa states.
Sambo assured that once the Sukuk fund was accessed within a short time, there would be remarkable progress at the construction site.
“The 103 kilometre Numan-Jalingo road is part of the Maiduguri–Calabar Highway. The section of the road that is not motorable is not acceptable for the road is the only connection between the North and South on the North Eastern axis of the country”, said Sambo.
The minister, however, blamed the slow pace of work on insufficient budgetary provision in the past and the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said with the current improved funding provision, the contractor was expected to service its equipment and be more serious on the construction work.
Sambo, however, noted that, should the company be found to lack the capacity to complete the job, the government would not hesitate to terminate the contract and re-award it to a competent one.
While briefing the Minister on the progress of work on the Numan-Jalingo road, a Senior Civil Engineer at the site, Maria Zirrah, representing the Federal Controller of Works Adamawa, said insecurity, lack of construction materials and funding, were responsible for the slow pace of work on the project.
Also, the Project Engineer of Deux Project Limited, the contractor for the Numan-Jalingo project, Frank Koshihuk, who spoke on behalf of the contractor said, inflation, funding, insecurity, were the major challenges on the construction work.
Koshihuk promised that as soon as the funding pattern for the rehabilitation improved, the work would be completed within 8 months.
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