Mr Bola Aganaba, the Deputy Director, Highways, North-Central Zone, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, says the Federal Government is currently not indebted to any road contractor in the zone.

Aganaba said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

He blamed the earlier delay in the completion of the Abuja-Lokoja road on poor funding, but added that the situation had improved and contractors had returned to site.

“Over the years, the major reason why the project has lingered is because of funding and at a time, the scope of work was increased and this also increased the cost of the project.

“At the time the project was started, it was only the additional carriage way that they needed to construct with little repairs on the existing lane.

“But with time, it was realised that the old alignment has to be totally rehabilitated, which also contributed to the delay in the completion of the project,” he said.

The deputy director told NAN that the project was awarded in three sections to three contractors, Dantata and Sawoe Nigeria Ltd., Gitto Construction Nigeria Ltd. and Bulletin Construction Nigeria Ltd.

He said the section being handled by Dantata and Sawoe was 80 per cent completed, Gitto about 60 per cent, but expressed dismay over pace of work by Bulletin Construction Nigeria Ltd.

“Now that funding has improved, the contractors are all back to site except Bulletin Construction Nigeria Ltd., that is having challenges currently,” Aganaba said.

He said the only ongoing project presently on Jebba-Mokwa road was the bridge project that was awarded after it collapsed.

According to the deputy director, it is an emergency project, the contractor is on site and has promised that the project will be delivered in May.

He added that the Federal Government was in the process of procuring the Jebba-Mokwa road because of its deplorable state, adding that the procurement process had reached an advanced stage.

He said the Ilorin-Jebba road was currently in good state with the completion of the rehabilitation work.

“Apart from the first 18 kilometers that was earlier not included in the rehabilitation, the Ilorin-Jebba road is a project we are all proud to be associated with.

“The road is now in good state and rehabilitation work has started on the first 18 kilometer that was originally not included in the project,” Aganaba added. (NAN)

– Apr. 19, 2018 @ 19:13 GMT