COMING three years after its agreement, and only a year to the expected fulfillment of that contract, the decision of the Federal Government to review its concession pact with Messrs Bicourtney for the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway raises doubt over the capacity of the company to undertake the project, and whether due diligence was employed before the deal was sealed. The entire rebuilding project has been most tardy for a foremost expressway that is a vital link between Lagos as the economic hub of Nigeria, and virtually the rest of the country.Government's step, although aimed at redressing an apparent fundamental wrong, is a manifestation of great public concern on the dilapidated condition of the road, as well as the danger that it constitutes daily to travellers. By now, had everything gone according to plan, the road would have taken a wider and smoother shape, which has not materialised, thus regularly occasioning preventable accidents and human carnage. While there is need for government to review the contract and make the project realisable, the current predicament should be seen as an opportunity to reconsider concessioning as an appropriate and competent scheme to guide public projects. The Lagos-Ibadan experience has certainly not been encouraging as a pilot scheme, and it in fact undermines the strategic importance of the road.Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen stated the other day in Lagos that the concession agreement the Federal Government signed with Bicourtney in September 2009 has not gone the way that was contemplated. The work was to be completed in four years. Three years have gone and only one year is left. Time is not on the side of the contractor any more. The contract is in jeopardy, hence the need for a review and possibly re-award it for better result.Onolememen disclosed that a project delivery team for the road has been set up and that he has inaugurated a project steering committee to that effect. But it is not clear what the difference between the two really is. If anything, it appears to be a duplication of duty. Furthermore, the minister said that unlike in 2009, government now has a transaction adviser, whose duty is to ensure that government gets the best with this particular concession. While government and Bicourtney sort out their differences, what Nigerians want is to have the road done.It is regrettable that nearly four years after the contract was awarded, nothing tangible has been done. The condition of the road has gone from bad to worse. It is a death trap where many innocent commuters are killed almost on daily basis. Everything should be done, therefore, to put the road in good condition to save the travelling public from undue hardship and to prevent more carnage.There is need to critically examine the cause of failure of the project at a time when the project is supposed to be nearing completion. Was there no due diligence to determine the capability of the contractor' Why is the contractor incapacitated in getting the job done' Was the contract awarded on the basis of patronage rather than capacity to perform' The Federal Government should explain or accept blame for this shoddy performance.Following the signing in September 2009 of an agreement between the Federal Government and Bicourtney under a Design, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) arrangement, Bicourtney was expected to re-build the road to international standard and thereafter, toll it for 25 years to recoup its expenses before handing over to government. The deal raised high expectation from members of the public who bear the brunt of its deplorable condition, the road having been built more than 30 years ago, precisely in 1978. Other attempts in the past to rehabilitate the road also failed.Funding appears to be a major constraint to the Bicourthney contract. But funds could be sourced externally if local sources failed. The contractor must be capable and credit-worthy to obtain funding. Government should ensure that issues of litigations by interest groups, especially, those that have properties along the highway, are resolved promptly, for instance by invoking appropriate provisions of the Land Use Act, which vests powers on government to use land anywhere in the country for development purposes in the public interest.In re-examining the issue of concessioning, questions should be asked on whether the country needs this particular strategy for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It is important for government to keep an open mind, and ensure that in principle, concessioning should not be accepted as the only way out for maintaining our highways. There are other workable alternatives, and government should not rule them out altogether. In addition, government should revamp the railway, to reduce the pressure on the road, and as a better alternative to road haulage.
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