The minister of works, David Umahi, said President Bola Tinubu has approved funding for the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano, Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Second Niger two bypass projects.
Umahi said the approval would remove the financial constraints hindering the three projects while asserting federal government’s commitment to eliminating all obstacles hindering the road infrastructure revolution it has initiated.
The minister made the disclosure during the inspection of the Lafia Bypass Road and dualisation of the 9th Mile (Enugu)-Otukpo-Makurdi road project in Makurdi, Benue State.
He was accompanied to the project site by the governor of Benue State, Father Hyacinth Alia.
The 260-kilometer project, examined during the inspection, is managed by China Harbour Nigeria Limited and financed jointly by the Export-Import Bank of Nigeria (85%) and the Federal Government (15%) traversing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa, Benue Logo, and Enugu States.
The project is expected to be delivered in 48 months.
The Minister said: “I want to thank Mr. President that about three days ago, he approved work should immediately commence in many sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano.
“it is cheering news for me, we were having some problems with funding but the President has solved the problem and directed for the immediate release of funds so that the road will continue.
“The same thing with the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the second Niger bridge two bypasses”.
The Minister, who had earlier inspected the Mararaba-Keffi reconstruction and expansion project, commended the Benue and Enugu State Governors, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia and Peter Mbah respectively for setting up taskforce committees to provide security on the sites of the project.
He also disclosed that the request for certain inclusion in the road project by the Governor of Benue State, Fr. Alia would be accommodated, saying, We are from Abuja to Mararaba to Keffi, that is an ongoing project of dualization and it is 43km.
“It is being done with NNPC funding, whatever impeded the funding, graciously, God lifted it and the President has approved in all zones of the country, that the job should go ahead.
“We noticed that there is a lot of hold-up around the beginning of the project, so I have asked them to study it because the essence of governance is for the convenience of the people.
“So, if we have a lot of hold-ups there, people can’t plan. So we have directed that we should have a flyover at the location to ease it.
“So, the road from Keffi to Makurdi has been completed and we are going to toll it.
“But for some modifications, we have asked the China Harbour Engineering Company to provide the service station, where we can have our trailers parked, vehicles parked, you can go for snacks, fuelling and so on but they are not there and they must be there before we start tolling the road.
“The plazas are not beautiful and I told them to make them beautiful like we have in China.
“This one is 260km and that is 229km completed, some sections are not good and I have directed them to go back to work, the first 5km, but the rest are beautiful.
“Where a job is not good, you must go back and where it is good, we commend you.
“This route is to be done on asphalt but what I prefer is concrete all through but it is like they are defeating me.
“The flyover you are requesting, we are going to incorporate it.
“If you are building a road and the people are being inconvenienced or we finished it and it does not solve the problems, we have done nothing.
“So that flyover is very critical and it is very good that we are here. We had to do that because of the passion for your people and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.
“From the beginning of the road to here, it must be done on concrete. So anywhere we have bad terrain we will scope it for concrete. We will put the middle of the divide of the two carriageways in the middle of the existing route.
“So, we will minimize a lot of compensations.
I would like to thank you and the Enugu State Governor for setting up a task force to assist them in terms of security and other things.
“The project is financed by China Exim Bank, so the money is there and the project is in dollars, so it will not vary that much.
“We want to assure you that from today, things will be happening, you will be happy with the progress.
Governor Alia, in his remarks, commended the President for the people-centered policies and programmes he has embarked on since he assumed office.
He said: “We are pleased that you are beginning the second phase of Abuja-Keffi-Lafia-Ninth Mile road. We are very excited that you have already incorporated the prayers we presented to you. We thank Mr President for his thoughtfulness and good heart for the common masses.
“He is someone who doesn’t want to see people suffer. From Abuja to Makurdi, the journey was four and a half hours but with this new road, it takes us three hours. That is going to help our business and help us to plan on plying on the route.
“We thank you for the pains you take for being here yourself.
“From this axis to Otupko, instead of taking one hour it will take you two hours, be rest assured of our continued support and collaboration which we need to do for the smooth running of the project will be done”.
Earlier, while inspecting the Mararaba-Keffi highway, the Minister urged the contractor to redesign the project to accommodate a flyover at the Mararaba corridor.
According to him, the flyover would ease the movement of citizens that reside along the corridor.