The Federal Government has expressed satisfaction with the spate of work by MTN Nigeria on the Enugu-Onitsha Highway, even as it set April 28 as the deadline for the completion of the road.
MTN has been intervening on the 107-kilometre road, valued at about N202 billion, through the tax credit scheme of the Federal Government.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, told reporters at the weekend in Enugu, after an inspection of the ongoing project, that the Federal Government was committed to its realisation in record time.
He said: “We came into Enugu-Onitsha road, a very problematic road, but it has been clipped by the ingenuity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his determination for the Southeast. The previous governments never worked on that road; the past eight governments have never worked on that road, but it is only by the audacity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with determination and love for Southeast people, that is bringing that abnormal situation to a halt.
“It’s a project of 107 kilometres, and MTN was having the entire project of N202 billion before under MTN tax credit. When we came on board, MTN had already done a project of about N50 billion, and what we did because of the floating of the naira and the subsidy removal, the prices went up. So what we did was to de-scope the project within the limit of what is available within that N202 billion, and that is what MTN is doing. Their subcontractor is Nigercat and RCC.
“We are satisfied with what they have done. Where we have objections, we have told them and they are going to amend it, and we set April 28 for completion. The balance of that work is about 72 kilometres, scattered in about four sections, and that is what we came out with: the first two sections, 15 kilometres and 18 kilometres, which have to do with concrete. I want to announce that in the next two weeks, the 15-kilometre carriageway would have been completed, left with shoulders, and we just directed that next week solar lights should be completed in the first five kilometres.”
Umahi said that plans are on the ground to award a contract for the solar lights for the 107-kilometre road, skipping sections where the Anambra State Government had already put solar lights.
“That project is going to be a project to behold, and all credits will go to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his commitment to the people of the South East. It will be quite interesting to note that all the nightmares on that road will come to an end under President Tinubu, and we continue to say that the South East people should be very grateful to him because that, which we have been expecting, has come to pass. For me, that is the Biafra we are looking for, and that is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
“What Tinubu is doing in the South East, you need to open your eyes to see what he is doing, but even if you are in the dark, you will definitely feel it because the roads are properly being paved.
“So, SKC is doing very wonderful work. We are happy with Nigercat, we are happy with RCC. Where they didn’t do well, we have told them and they are going to make amends. The second section with concrete, 15 kilometres, has also been started with RCC. We saw what they are doing and we are happy with what they are doing. The other two sections will be done with asphalt, and since the two sections are not so terrible, we have to count one before we count two. The section that is very bad, we have to do it first before we go to the one that is okay.”
About Author
