Umahi frowns at slow pace of work on Enugu-Onitsha Road

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has expressed dismay over the slow pace of work on the Enugu-Onitsha Road Project, calling on the contractors, RCC and Mothercat, to brace up for implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda on infrastructure.

Umahi made this known at a meeting with the two contractors and MTN, who are responsible for funding the construction of the Enugu-Onitsha Road dualisation under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme in Abuja.

He directed the contractors to speed up the work and be committed to its execution for the comfort of road users, maintaining one carriageway of the dual carriageway under construction to mitigate the suffering of motorists in the region.

While recalling that the Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway is funded by MTN under the Tax Credit Scheme, the minister expressed disappointment with the road condition under construction and blamed the insensitivity of the contractors to the plight of the road users.

He declared, “My disappointment is over the slow pace of work on that project. It’s one of the worst roads in this country. Everywhere we have diversion; diverting from the one that RCC and Nigercat had completed, the contractors are not kind enough to even put stone based on the diversion points.

“So, by the reason of launching our Operation Free Our Roads, it is now a violation of policy on the side of the controllers and directors of the Federal Ministry of Works where we have vehicles falling on any project that is ongoing or where there are potholes on our roads.

“Last Sunday, we inspected that road with the Governor of Enugu State, and we saw the level of suffering of people at the Abakpa section of the road where RCC Limited was putting binder, about 3.5 kilometres of the road, and they blocked it.”

The works minister, therefore, thanked the Enugu State government for their resolve to fund the construction of the Abakpa junction to Akama (9th Mile) section of the Enugu-Onitsha Road on rigid pavement and the flyover bridge that would be refunded through MTN Tax Credit.