From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
House of Representatives committee on works has raised concerns on some failed portions of Keffi-Akwanga (Nyanya) Expressway being dualised and expanded by China Harbour Engineering Company.
The expansion of the 5.4 kilometers Abuja- Keffi Expressway and the dualisation of the 220 kilometers Keffi- Akwanga-Lifia- Makurdi federal roads in the North- Central Geo-Political zone of the country is
a tripartite project of China Exim Bank (CEXIMB), China Harbour Engineering and Federal Government.
While 85 per cent of the funds was borrowed from the bank, the federal government provided 15 per cent of the fund.
The project was divided into two phases for easy implementation and completion.
While phase 1 which is 5.4 kilometers, stretched from Abacha Road to Nyanya-Mararaba boundary, the expansion of 220 kilometers stretched from Keffi- Akwanga-Lafia to Makurdi.
While inspecting the road, the chairman of the committee, Honourable Abubakar Kabir Abubakar explained that it was part of the committee’s responsibilities to carry out regular oversight functions on critical infrastructure projects of the Federal Government in order to give value to the money spent on projects, pointing out that on this particular road project, government has spent billions of naira.
On the funding of the project, he confirmed that it is a joint funding arrangement between Nigeria and China.
“The project is being executed by the China Harbour Engineering Company Limited through a Preferential Buyer’s Credit loan from Export -Import Bank of China (CEXIM) with about eighty-five per cent of the contract sum being from China and Nigeria is providing the other fifteen per cent counterpart fund of the contract sum,” he said.
However, he expressed dissatisfaction on the failed portions of the road saying that the committee has already drawn the attention of the contractors to it.
” We have raised certain issues concerning some failed portions of the road and we have drawn the attention of the trio of the consultant, contractor and the ministry to address all these issues” he said.
This, he assured, will help avoid compromising standards, ensure quality and also enhance timely delivery.
Taking the team on this tour of the project, the chairman said that the project is very important as it connects the three states of Nasarawa, Benue and Enugu.
Responding to the issue of the failed portions, especially on the section ll of the project, the Ministry’s Project Implementation Unit, Road Sector Development Team led by the Senior Project Manager, Engineer Usoh Henry assured members of the committee that urgent repairs are going to be carried out as soon as possible, more so when the contractor has been notified of the failed portions.
Speaking further on the project, Usoh said that the project is about 75 per cent completed and reassured members of the committee that the project was going to be delivered by April, 2023.
According to him, the project was divided into two phases in order to ease its implementation. They are, Phase l; which is the expansion of Keffi- Akwanga- Lafia- Makurdi Road and the Phase Il, the dualisation of Makurdi-Otukpo- Obollo Afor-Enugu road.
Concerning the quality of job done, Usoh said that the contractor has been closely supervised as it is mandatory for all multi-laterally- funded projects such as this road project requires. He said that an independent consultant has been on site carrying out an unbiased supervision, monitoring and control of the project adding that the China EXIM Bank had also engaged its own supervision consultants to play their roles in accordance with international best practices.