From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives has tasked the Federal Ministry of Works, as well as the contactor handling the Abuja–Keffi–Lafia–Makurdi Road project to ensure that the project is completed by April 2023.
The chairman, House Committee on Works, Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, gave the charge during an inspection and oversight visit by members of the committee to the road.
Abubakar noted that the House will insist on quality work, so as to ensure that the citizens get good value for money.
The lawmakers commenced the inspection from the Kugbo , in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), end of 4.5kilometres A-Y-A–Nyanya reconstruction and expansion project, with lawmakers quizzing the the contractor on the quality of job.
The Committee later proceeded to the Keffi–Akwanga section of the project at kilometer 19 between Gudi village and Akwanga, where lawmakers reiterated the need no ensure that every kobo appropriated is well accounted for through the quality of job to be delivered.
The committee chairman, at the end of the inspection, told journalists that
the project, which cost about $542 million, is counter-funded by the China Exim Bank, as well as the Chinese and Nigerian Governments.
Abubakar said “There should be no compromise in terms of quality, standard and time delivery. I said this because we made adequate budgetary provisions for this project in the 2022 appropriation, so there should be no excuse as to why the work would be delayed any further.
“The 2023 budget will come in any moment from now, and this oversight is necessary for us to know how what was allocated last year was utilised for us to determine what’s needed and how to give approval.”
An official of the Ministry of Works, Henry Usor, assured the lawmakers that the project would be delivered within the stipulated time.
According to him, “the job would be completed in record time, going by the progress we have achieved so far. I believe we should be able to complete it by the time we come to the end of the project duration in April 2023.
“When completed, it would have a lot of advantages.If you are moving from Abuja to the southeast and southern part of the country, this would be a better option for you to take through.”