The contractor handling the two point five kilometers Oraofia-Ali stream road, Ukpo, in Dunukofia Local Government Area has been given seven days to mobilise back to site.
Giving the directive after inspecting the abandoned road project, the Minister of Works Engineer Dave Umahi, questioned the contractor on why he abandoned the road even after receiving huge amount of money from the federal government.
Engineer Umahi frowned at the claims by the contractor that gully erosion has taken major part of the road, a reason why the contractor left the site.
When he gathered from the contractor that only five hundred meters have been asphalted, Engineer Umahi advised the contractor to commence earthwork on the remaining portions of the road and to report back to him through the Anambra state Commissioner for Works for further direction on how to complete the project.
He maintained that the era of collecting monies for road projects from government and abandoning same soon after will not be condoned in the Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime as he said that every contractor must account for every kobo they were paid to do any road contract for government.
Engineer Umahi said that the acceptable duration for every federal road project will no longer be more than four years.
In the same vein, the federal government has called for the redesigning of the over thirty kilometers Otuocha-Nzam-Ibaji-Kogi road awarded in 2008.
Works Correspondent, Ngozi Obileri reports that the Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi stated this when he inspected works already done on the road since 2008 and the ones remaining.
The Minister expressed sadness over the condition of the road, which he said has gone bad.
Engineer Umahi noted that the old method of laying stone base, MC one and then asphalt no longer stands the test of time due to the type of weather and lack of maintenance culture of the people of the country.
He recommended concrete pavement with two meters asphalt on top as the best way to ensure that the road lasts more than fifty years after construction.
The Minister said henceforth, there will no longer be surface dressing on shoulders of federal roads across the country, so as to get it right.
The over thirty kilometers Otuocha-Nzam-Ibaji -Kogi road awarded to Niger Cat construction company has five bridges and will be a major short cut to Lokoja, Kogi State when completed.
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