September 25, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Engr David Umahi, has listed the benefits of concrete pavement in road construction in Nigeria.
Senator Umahi, the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, said the technology is cheaper, will lift the pressure on the naira and also enhance the production of cement in Nigeria.
The works minister disclosed this in Calabar over the weekend while inspecting some ongoing federal roads, as well as some concrete roads constructed by the Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu.
In his words, “There are so much benefits in the use of concrete, first you do the road and in fifty years, you will not touch it.
“It’s cheaper then asphalt, you can have a contract that you can determine and say in the next one year, there will be no increase in this contract.
“It will lift the pressure on the naira and so the people that are importing bitumen should go and develop our bitumen deposits.
“Not less than ten companies have indicated interest in opening cement factories and this will create jobs.
“It is also going to create the expansion of the existing cement factories; they are all running at 30% performance presently.
“This will also develop our engineering profession and allow local engineers to practice what they learnt and not continue to be servants”, Engineer Umahi said.
On the issue of not paying contractors, he said no one will blackmail him into signing certificates he cannot defend.
He added that contractor who varies a contract has to give cogent reasons why his contract has been varies.
“It’s not true that I am not signing certificates of contractors, I am only signing certificates I am convinced are right.
“The certificates are called interim certificates and are cumulative. Something you could not explain in certificate number one, you can do it in number two, three or four.
“Where a project that is 34 billion is jacked to 120 billion or a project that is 44 billion is jacked to 150 billion, I am a civil engineer and I’ve been in this job for 30 years and am also a fellow of the Nigeria Society Of Engineers.
“If a project has been jacked up and almost stalled, let me know by the first principle, the way engineering was taught us, let us see the take off sheets, sketches, levels, geo – technical reports and then I will own it if I see all those things.
“If you think you can blackmail me to sign, I will not sign. I will not sign something I cannot defend and I have told Mr. President and he is supporting me.
“Those whose roads have failed, I will not sign, they have to go and fix the roads back, this is the truth”, he said.
Engineer Umahi also commended the governor for his adoption of concrete Pavement in Road Construction, as well as his choice of works commissioner in Engineer Pius Edet.
As part of his visit to the state, Senator Umahi also inspected sections of the ongoing dualisation of the 28.6 km Odukpani power plant-Oku Iboku section of the Odukpani Junction-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road in Akwa Ibom and Cross River State being handled by Sermatech.
About the Author
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
