Christian Okeke reports the efforts being made by the Federal Ministry of Works to fix dilapidated federal roads across the country, submitting that government may have finally garnered the political will to fix the road sector.OVER the years, inadequate planning and funding, bureaucratic project management structure, ineffective supervision, poor design and lack of strong quality assurance have worked, pathetically, against the development of the road sector in the country. What was required at that time, regarding successive governments, was to provide the needed capacity and decentralise the bureaucratic project management structure.Pundits believe that the current minister, Mike Onolememen, has come with the political will to make impact.Perhaps it was not only in the fact that he embarked on the restructuring of the Federal Ministry of Works for better delivery of road projects that make the difference, but his commitment to breaking the jinx of bad roads across the country, especially if concluded prudently and fairly, has been adjudged as one that will eventually end the recurring agonies on the roads.It is on record that from the 160 ongoing projects inherited by the minister, impetus was given to completing priority ones and in line with specifications. The Federal Ministry of Works, under the leadership of Onolememen, prides itself of rehabilitating the Apapa-Oshodi expressway notorious for being not just an embarrassment but a source of agony for road users. According to the minister, the current expansion of the road, in addition to the drainage works, dedicated bridge leading to Tin-Can Island Port from Liverpool round-about and the trailer part remains very reassuring.Of course, the 262.5km Benin-Ore-Shagamu highway is a recurring nightmare to road users but as at today, reconstruction work on the project is being undertaken by Reynolds Construction Company Nig Limited and Borini Prono & Company Nig Limited. Information obtained from the ministry has it that works were almost completed at the Benin-Ofosu-Ore parts of the road where motorists suffered prolonged delays. Speaking recently on the level of work done, the minister stated that, 'A major part of the road has been asphalted and I receive phone calls from numerous Nigerians everyday expressing their appreciation over the works that have been carried out on the road.'On the stalled Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja dualisation road project, it was gathered that efforts and resources have been deployed to the 196km Abuja-Lokoja section awarded since 2006 in four sections. Although largely uncompleted, Giri and Gwagwalada bridges have been opened for use. The ministry hoped on completing the project via the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) fund, by October 2014.The 553km Kano-Maiduguri dualization road project awarded in 2006 is a major arterial highway connecting Kano to Borno State. Despite being under construction for about six years, report that the project had witnessed increased progress in the last 13 months, has been attributed to the ingenuity of the current authorities at the Federal Ministry of Works.The same, perhaps, goes for the 108.6km Onitsha-Enugu road rehabilitation project awarded to CCC Nigeria Limited and Nigercat Construction Limited. For years, work was stalled on the project and that was attributed to inadequate funding and a disturbing trend about it, as well as due to the fact that the supervising ministry which awarded the project failed to make budgetary provision for its completion.Another road project which has witnessed appreciable progress in the past few months is the 151.5km Ibadan-Ilorin road dualisation project, which passed through major towns as Oyo and Ogbomoso. Contracts for the road were awarded in three sections. It was gathered from ministry sourcebook that Section 1 (comprising Ibadan-Oyo) was awarded to PW Nigeria Limited while Section III of Ogbomoso-Ilorin was awarded to RCC Nigeria Limited, all in 2001. While Section II has now been completed, it was gathered that Section I was nearing completion and in order to ensure that it was eventually completed, contract for the remaining Section II (Oyo-Ogbomoso) was, in 2010, awarded to RCC.The list of roads which have either been completed or substantially completed by the ministry, through the commitment of Onolememen, include construction of Gombe Bypass, rehabilitation of Katsina-Daura Road, rehabilitation of Aba-Owerri road, construction of Eleme Junction Flyover and dualization of access road to Onne Port, Phases I and II.Yet others are rehabilitation of Section II of Ijebu Igbo-Ajegunle-Araromi-Ife-Sekona road, emergency reinstatement of collapsed section of Gombe-Potiskum road, completion of Mararaba-Bali road, rehabilitation of Phase I Hedejia-Nguru road, dualization of Section I of Onitsha-Owerri road, as well as Onitsha Eastern Bypass Section I. From these available facts, the Federal Ministry of Works has facilitated the rehabilitation of phase I of Obiozara-Uburu-Ishiagu-Awgu road and construction of a bridge at Lafenwa in Ogun State.As it stands, the Onolememen-led Works Ministry is taking the credit for the rehabilitation and complete recovery of service lanes of Onitsha Head Bridge end of Onitsha-Enugu highway up to Upper Iweka Junction which had been expanded to three lanes on both sides. The achievement, obviously, has improved travel times along the route. Concerning the Kano Western Bypass Flyover in Kano, the ministry has cited current security challenge as a factor responsible for the slow pace of work on the project. It, however, stated that efforts were on to ensure that it was completed. According to the ministry, some washouts and gully erosions have been halted, with the affected roads reinstated, including Auchi-Okene whose contract was awarded in September 2011. Work has also reached 80 percent on Gombe-Potiskum road washout in Gombe State.It is on records that the Ayogwiri road washout also in Edo State has been fully recovered and the road reopened to motorists, while the Onitsha-Enugu Road washouts at kilometre 6, 30 and 35 in Anambra State have equally been recovered. However, paucity of funds, according to the ministry, currently hinders the 84-kilometre Lafia-Awe-Obi-Tunga Road in Nasarawa State and it is left to be seen whether the ministry will surmount the challenge also.Onolememen, who spoke on his achievements in office so far, said, 'By far, the most important policy intervention that will impact positively on the road sector under my leadership is the reforms in the road sector.' He went further to say that, 'Prior to my assumption of office, earlier initiatives to reform the road sector were not accorded the needed attention. In view of the Federal Government's inability to wholly construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate and maintain roads in the country due to the global economic recession and its attendant consequences to our environment, I set up a Road Sector Reform Committee in October 2011, comprising international experts, professionally-experienced and credible Nigerians'The last one year in the road sector has been quite challenging but rewarding as a lot of issues, programmes and initiatives have been set rolling to make Nigeria join the league of the first 20 developed nations. Like I have always assured Nigerians, the future is very bright for Nigerian roads as the foundation for world-class roads is being laid. And for us at the Federal Ministry of Works, the task of making Nigerian roads better and safer is a task that must be done.
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