The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has warned contractors working on the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways that failure to complete the projects by October will result in the state government taking them over.
During an inspection tour of key federal road projects in Enugu with Governor Peter Mbah, Umahi expressed dissatisfaction with the prolonged blockage of parts of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway by the contractor, which has caused significant hardship for road users.
He noted that over 3km of the road at the Abakpa sections have been blocked by RCC, the sub-contractor of MTN.
Umahi said, “We have agreed, and I have called the contractor, that by Tuesday if they don’t start work, we are going to remove the barricade. The suffering is just too much.
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“We also agreed on the flyover components of Enugu-Onitsha that the governor has already concluded with the subcontractor working for MTN. We got involved for him to go ahead and fund it.”
He also commended Governor Mbah for undertaking the dualisation of the Abakpa Nike-Ugwogo-Opi Nsukka road and completing part of the Ninth Mile-Opi road.
He acknowledged the governor’s willingness to construct the 3km stretch up to Opi Junction on the Enugu-Makurdi road.
Umahi and Governor Mbah also inspected the ongoing construction of a twin bridge at New Artisan, at the Enugu end of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. The minister gave the contractors until October 2024 to complete the project.
Governor Mbah commended the federal government’s commitment to addressing the region’s road infrastructure challenges.