By Gilbert Ekezie
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Board member of Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Hon (Chief) Modestus Umenzekwe in this interview commended President, Muhammadu Buhari and his Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) for the massive infrastructural development in Nigeria, saying that the 2nd Niger Bridge project that is at the completion stage has socio-economic benefits to not only to the people of South east, but the entire nation and other road users.
Excerpts:
The much expected 2nd Niger Bridge will soon be completed, could you tell us how you feel about the project?
I thank God that finally, the 2nd Niger Bridge is available to the glory of God. It is expected to be delivered this year 2022. We are happy that President Muhammadu Buhari has kept to his words of completing the project before the end of his administration. In fact, he has so far done what many did not do, and has written his name in gold; I say kudos to him, and the indefatigable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola who assiduously kept working , despite huge financial challenges on the way. It could be recalled that during the 2015 Election, president Buhari never promised Ndigbo a 2nd Niger Bridge in his campaign, but today, he has delivered it. Rather, it was in Chuma Azikiwe’s house in 2004 during the burial of the former Minister of Justice, Chike Ofodile, that he made a promise that if he becomes the president, he will build 2nd Niger Bridge, and complete Zik’s Mausoleum, I was one of the young men who were there , because Chuma was my very good friend, though an elderly man, but we were friendly. As you can see, Julius Berger is now putting finishing touches to complete the Bridge Project alongside a 10.3km ancillary highway to reduce heavy dosage of traffic to the South East, and back to Lagos/other regions by June as ordered by the President and open it to motorists in earnest. Did you see the kind of heavy traffic that was experienced during the yuletide? It was awful, therefore the President realized the huge importance of the 2nd Niger Bridge, not just to the region , but to the entire nation and global community who ply that axis, and he is working hard to complete it.
In your opinion what do you consider to be the benefits and socio- economic importance of the bridge to the nation?
For me the 2nd Niger Bridge is a key national infrastructure that will bring about an enhanced everyday life and social integration for dwellers while also driving trade and economic activities. As important as the bridge is in the region and the nation, the Second Niger Bridge will contribute immensely to the expansion of a well-developed road transportation network, providing ease for commuters and enhancing regional connectivity. Remember the major markets in Nigeria are in Onitsha, the bridge will enhance movement of persons, goods and services, what do I mean? By having another bridge, you have freed the first bridge of huge and intractable vehicular movements and the people will enjoy their ride rather than stay in the traffic for hours which not only affect their business, transportation and even their life expectancy.
Do you think your party; I mean the present Administration under President Buhari is really doing well on infrastructural development?
Without mincing words, the present administration has indeed performed even beyond people’s expectations. The security situation appears to be a huge challenge, which of course, you know, did not emanate during this administration, it has been there, and the president is doing his best on issue of security. But on issue of infrastructure, the president, with the efforts of his field marshal in the Works and Housing Sectors, Babatunde Raji Fashiola (SAN), Nigeria has witnessed a quantum leap. We could see that there is infrastructural growth in the country, looking at the various projects in the six geo-political zones of the country. Maybe, some examples would suffice:
On roads, of course with the SUKUK Bond, amounting to N162, 557,000,000, aimed at facilitating the execution of major road projects across the country, it becomes easy for the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola to do what he knows how to do best. Today, 44 Federal Roads spread across the six geo-political zones are being financed and completed under the SUKUK road project: North Central is having eight, North East Eight, North West Seven, South West Six, South East Five and South-South Ten, with the breakdown of the financial implication as follows: North Central N26.5b, North East N30.5bn, North West N26.5bn, Southeast N26bn, South-South N26bn, and South West N27.05bn.
Other laudable projects which deserve commendation and acknowledgement include the reconstruction of the Runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, following President Buhari’s approval of a 10 billion Naira special intervention fund in 2019; of course this 200 billion Naira Second Niger Bridge, comprising the Main Bridge across the River Niger, and 10km of a six-lane Expressway, in Onitsha and Asaba, scheduled for 2022 completion.
The Ground-breaking done in 2021 for reconstruction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Rail Line, linking the Southeastern States to a planned new Sea Port in Bonny, and to Northern Nigeria.
Sections 1 to 4 of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Construction of Ihiala-Orlu Road in Isseke Town-Amafuo-Ulli with Spur (Ihiala-Orlu-Umuduru Section) in Anambra State, Rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road Route Section II: Anambra/Imo States Border-Ibinta-Okigwe Road; Construction of Oseakwa Bridge in Anambra State; Rehabilitation of Old Enugu – Port-Harcourt Road (Agbogugu-Abia Border Spur to Mmaku); Rehabilitation of Nsukka-Obollo-Ikem-Ehamufu-Nkalagu Road in Enugu State; Rehabilitation of Owerri-Umuahia Road Sections I, II & III Imo/Abia States; Rehabilitation of Bende – Arochukwu – Ohafia Road Section I in Abia State; Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Sections I and II in Ebonyi State, among others.
Recently, MTN Nigeria announced its intention to reconstruct the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway: This is under President Buhari’s Executive Order 7 (the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme), signed in 2019. The MTN Board has approved the company’s participation in the Scheme. There is also the completion and commissioning in 2018 of the Zik Mausoleum in Awka, Anambra State, 22 years after construction started.
The president recently commissioned the Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora-Makera Road corridor. And the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Fashola (SAN) said that the 304 kilometre road represented the first of many more project Completion and Handovers Nigerians would experience in the next few weeks and months , as the nation enters what he described as “a season of completion and impact”.
It may interest you to know that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), penultimate recently handed over a symbolic cheque of N621.24billion for the rehabilitation of 21 critical roads across the country through the Tax Credit Scheme under the Executive Order 7.
The Minister said the present administration was currently using the scheme for the construction and rehabilitation of Kabba-Obajana Road in Kogi State and the Apapa-Oworonsoki Road in Lagos. Contrary to the belief in some quarters that the Scheme was meant for only big companies like the Dangote Group, he noted that the scheme was open to all the members of the Private Sector.
The critical roads, which are major routes for the distribution of petroleum products across the country by the NNPC include, the roads in the North Central totaling 791kilometres, which are the dualization of Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa/Bokani Junction Road Section I: Ilorin-Jebba in Kwara State, dualization of Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa/Bokani Junction Road Section II: Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Junction in Kwara/Niger States and dualization of Suleja-Minna Road in Niger State, among others.
In the South-South, three roads totaling 81.90 kilometres, which are under the scheme include; rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road in Cross River State Section I: Odukpani-Itu Bridge Head in Cross River/Akwa Ibom States, dualization of outstanding portion of Odukpani-ltu-lkot Ekpene, and dualization of Oku-Iboku Power Plant Section of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot-Ekpene Road in Cross River/Akwa Ibom States.
The roads chosen in the South East, aggregating to122 kilometres, include rehabilitation of Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road: Umuahia-Umudike in Abia State and the dualization of Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom States.
In the North East, the total number of roads involved are 117 kilometres. They include rehabilitation of Cham-Numan Section of Gombe-Yola Road in Adamawa State, construction of Bali – Serti Road in Taraba State and rehabilitation of Gombe – Biu Road in Gombe/Borno States, while in the North West , the roads chosen, which aggregate to 283.5kilometres, include Rehabilitation of Outstanding Sections of Gada – Zaima – Zuru – Gamji Road Phase II in Kebbi State and Rehabilitation of Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto-Birnin Kebbi. In the South West, roads chosen are rehabilitation and expansion of Lagos-Badagry Expressway (Agbara Junction-Nigeria/Benin Border) in Lagos State and the dualization of Ibadan – Ilorin Road (Route A2) Section II in Oyo State (Oyo – Ogbomosho) which aggregate to 114.00 kilometres.
We are equally committed to expanding infrastructure in the region, this includes the ongoing construction work on the 34-kilometers Bonny-Bodo Road/Bridge, which has been abandoned for decades. When completed, the project, which was flagged off in October 2017, would connect several major communities and boost socio-economic development in the region.
Other road infrastructures include the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Rail Line project, which was commissioned by Mr. President in September 2020, and has the capacity to handle both passengers and freight services. The Federal Government is also developing a number of deep sea ports across the Niger Delta region, including the Bonny, Warri, and Ibom Deep Sea Ports, among other development projects such as the establishment of Export Processing Zones to boost economic activities.
It appears that the present administration has done more in the area of promoting rail transportation, what is your take on that?
Yes, you can see, President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the $1.5 billion 157-kilometre Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge railway project for full commercial activities. While the Kano–Abuja section of the Lagos–Kano railway modernisation project is ongoing. In fact, this government should be tagged ‘Infrastructure Government’, it is massive.
What is the federal government doing in the area of Housing?
Recently, the workaholic Minister of Works and Housing, inspected the 764-Units Federal Housing Authority (FHA) residential layouts (the Abuja Mass Housing Scheme) in Zuba, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The Federal Government Mass Housing Pilot Project Zuba-Abuja, located along Zuba-Giri Kaduna Express Way, is highly accessible and connected to the Kaduna-Abuja Express road by a well tarred rood of less than two minutes drive. The estate consists of 764 housing units seated on 18Ha’s land size consisting of 1 bedroom flats; 2-bedroom flats; 3-bedroom flats; and 3-bedroom terrace duplexes.
Its proximity to city center is about 30 minutes drive along the 10-lane Kubwa expressway with good internal Asphalt paved road and drainages, dedicated transformers, elaborate packing spaces, fenced and gated community, beautiful and serene environment, dedicated independent water supply, among others. With a formidable team that includes Senator Lawal Shuaibu, Board Chairman FHA, and Senator Gbenga Ashafa, Managing Director, FHA, the Honourable Minister is seeing his vision being translated to reality.
The construction of the 17-storey headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Abuja has reached its peak. The N39.2bn project is certainly going to be one of the landmark buildings that will shape and define the skylines of the city of Abuja after its completion. It has features like a helipad, gymnasium, auditorium, clinic, religious worship centres, and a multi-storey car park, coupled with its architectural brilliance; it will certainly help in making Abuja city one of the finest capitals in African continent.