Road projects: Contractors without equipment playing games with us, FG
3 min read
…Says hide and seek amidst loss of lives on roads unacceptable
By Chris Ochayi
ABUJA: Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has vowed toin place adequate measures to end the old practice where contractors delayed execution of highways projects in the country unnecessarily.
Senator Umahi, who made the disclosure, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, accused some contractors of not having enough equipment to execute roads projects awarded to them.
The Minister was angry that many contractors indulged in playing games with government at the expense of lives been lost to road crashes on account of deplorable condition of the roads due to failures of contractors to work on them.
He therefore , assured Nigerians that the ministry under his leadership will adopt a pragmatic measures to end the old order of unnecessary delays in the execution of road projects by contractors across Nigeria.
He said steps have been taken to rejig the monstrous contract price variation clause which was a major clog in wheel of progress of project execution over the years.
He said as part of strategic infrastructure development master plan of the present administration, he introduced responsive approaches which were adopted as the Ministry’s measures to overcome the challenges of road infrastructure development in the country.
He spelt out such measures to include but are not limited to reviewing the VOP clause to ensure workability in line with the economic realities, making it a policy that contractors handling two carriageway projects (with exemption of the 3 legacy projects) must first complete one side.
According to him, “And thereafter continue with the second part subject to availability of fund, advancement of funds after award of contract is subject to conditions contained in the bid document, going forward.
“Other measures adopted were that contractors must have a timeline for project delivery, and every contractor shall have a duty to maintain the road under construction until the entire project is completed and delivered.
“A deadline shall be given for all ongoing projects, and with time, all projects that have no funding shall be stood down, but projects will be selected Zone by zone or State by State for funding.”
In applying these measures, the Minister emphasized that all contractors will be treated equally. “One thing that is our policy is that no contractor in the Ministry of Works will be treated differently.
“Whether you’re an indigenous contractor or you’re a foreign contractor, insofar as you can turn cement to the right grade and place it rightly. You’re a good contractor; we check, and it’s good.”
He disclosed that the current administration now have ongoing projects of 13 trillion naira, including budgetary projects, NNPCL, SUKUK, Presidential Initiative Development Projects, other Tax Credit Scheme Projects of NLNG, MTN,Dangote, BUA, Mainstream and projects under EPC +F, PPP”.
Umahi stated that the aftermaths of fuel subsidy and forex forces affected drastically the contract cost elements and pricing of which VOP could not provide a remedy especially for jobs awarded so many years ago, and where VOP on contracts was sometimes hitting 500%.
The Minister, while looking for a solution, said the Ministry sought for and got Mr. President’s approval to give an envelope in the 2024 budgetary provision to keep all the inherited projects alive, believing that more funding of such projects could come by thinking outside the box.
