The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved various contracts worth N41,872,860,761 for roads under the Ministry of Works and Housing and equipment for the Nigerian Customs Service.
For the Ministry of Works and Housing, N23,328,063,585 was approved for the two memoranda presented, cutting across an augmentation for a road between Enugu and Anambra States, and repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
Speaking to correspondents at the end of the Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fasola, explained that the work on the Third Mainland Bridge, which he said would cost N6.28 billion, will be dealing with surface failings that are now becoming obvious, which were not there when the last repairs were done on the bridge.
“The first was with regard to contract cost revision by way of augmentation for the old Enugu/Onitsha Road, from Okpi Junction, all the way to Udioji to Anambra border in Enugu state. The augmentation was in the sum of N17,050,000,000, which revised the contract to N48,996,488,925 Naira with an additional completion time of 42 months.
“The second contract was a fresh contract for the maintenance of the pavement of the Third Mainland Bridge and this was approved in the sum of N6,278,063,585.58 for a period of 24 months. This is in consonance with Executive Order 11 signed by Mr. President for the continued maintenance of public infrastructure.
“Now, some of you might ask, I was asked before that, okay, we did some work on Third Mainland Bridge before, why were there potholes now on it? So, this contract is in response to the potholes that have become manifest on the entire pavement of the deck of the bridge, spanning 11 kilometers and the interchanges at Adeniji Adele, Adekunle, and Gbagada ramps that all link the bridge.
“This is for the resurfacing and all of that. Those who are familiar with the bridge will recall that all of these failings were not this manifest on the bridge at the time we were doing the work we were doing. The work that we did concentrate largely on the sub-structure of the bridge, the piles, the underwater piles, the pile caps, and also the replacement of the expansion joint and the bearings.
“These are maintenance works that are critical to the structural integrity of the bridge. What we’re dealing with now is different. It is the driving surface and the aesthetics, some of the rails that have been stolen, and some of the planes that are misaligned at ramps that lead you on and off the bridge. So, this is the work that is being done now. So, all the experience of avoiding potholes on the bridge, this award of contract will tackle that,” he explained.
Asked if there were plans for security fittings like cameras for the bridge, he explained that the current arrangement only allowed for patrols but noted that for the Ministry of Works and Housing to take over the security of the bridge and other such federal facilities, there needs to be a realignment of operations of federal parastatals.
