FEC approves ₦733b for Odukapani-Itu road, dismisses bias claims

The third Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for the year on Monday approved N733 billion to facilitate various road projects aimed at upgrading the country’s road networks and bridges.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this while briefing newsmen about the projects approved as part of the government’s strategy to enhance connectivity and economic growth across the country.

Key among these projects, he said, is the dualisation of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, valued at N55 billion.

He said the contract was awarded to Decon Construction Nigeria Limited after a previous approval for N80 billion in 2021 was re-procured due to cost disputes with one of the previous contractors.

“Another major project is the dualisation of the Ibadan-Ilorin road section two in Oyo State, awarded to GRVe for N147 billion.” Notably, he said the project will utilise reinforced concrete pavement to enhance durability.

The Minister said the FEC further approved the completion of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road section two, a 164-kilometer stretch, for a staggering N507 billion. InfoWest Nigeria Limited won the contract competitively, having also been involved in sections one and three of the project.

Also, a flyover at Abakpa in Enugu, bordering the 82 Division, was approved for N24 billion, with CCECC as the contractor. Umahi said the project aims to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

The minister also addressed concerns about the regional distribution of projects, debunking claims that President Tinubu’s administration is skewing road projects to the south.

He added, “The President is committed to completing all the inherited projects. Most of the projects we come here to announce are inherited projects, and the President is committed to continuing them.”

He said that project approvals are based on memos submitted to the FEC and should not be perceived as being distributed equitably across regions.

He said: “Let me use one minute to correct an impression created in the Senate. There was a time we awarded some projects, and we came here to say the projects that FEC approved, and a senator raised a motion in the house, alluding that more projects were approved in the south than in the north.

“Let me correct that impression, because I’m not qualified to write to the Senate President to correct it. But the fact remains that it is the memo that comes to FEC that is approved.

“Sometimes a memo can be in favour of a particular region or a particular zone and so forth. So our briefing here should not be taken as if we are bringing projects in an equitable form.

“You know, a project may go to BPP and they are processing it, but it is not… like today, we have a total of N507 billion, and that is for Abuja-Kano section. And of course, in my own zone, we have only N24 billion.

“So if tomorrow you bring something that is big for the South East, nobody should start saying…

“So the President is committed to completing all the inherited projects. And in any case, most of the projects we come here to announce are inherited projects, and the President is continuing them. If you go back to look at the inherited projects, they were not even equitably distributed by the last administration, but the President did not mind—he still continues all of them.”