- The federal government has said that the East West Road was designed to fail
- The minister of Niger Delta made the revelation after the Federal Executive Council meeting
- The minister said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will prosecute 40 contractors for delivering faulty design on federal contracts
The minister of Niger Delta, Usani Usani, has said that the East West Road project was designed fail.
Usani said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will prosecute 40 contractors for delivering faulty designs on federal contracts include the said project.
While speaking to journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Usani said, the council has approved N16 billion for the construction of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He said the commission which will be sited in Port Harcourt is an essential project that must be concluded alongside the East West Road.
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Usani said: “The East West road is a project that has been messed up from inception, naturally designed to fail by all the agreements and designed concepts that we have seen."
And here we are making sure that we put things in order so that we can see the terminal point of that project.
If the project started more than a decade ago and in 24 months, we have made the progress we have made on that project, correcting even the construction deficits in the area, then I think you should be able to appreciate what we are doing.
When you talk of N16 billion as if it is so relevant in completing the East West road, I wish to tell you that the outstanding certificate on the East West road amount to N30 billion. So if we put N16 billion there, in fact one and the other are not substitutes.
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Two of them are essential infrastructure projects that must go on, so it doesn’t mean that if we put that money on the East West road then it satisfies the needs of housing the NDDC," Usani said.
The minister however added that the present administration will do all it takes to ensure that to correct the concept and designs given by the contractors.
He said the project has already gulped N300 billion without any visible progress.
“I’m doing a review of the entire contract of the East West road because without that nothing will ever happen on that road talkless of completion. If you have spent N300 billion and you are where you are then… the design, negotiations, contract everything is wrong.
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“You designed a project of that nature and give it a lifespan or seven years and then no designs in some sectors and yet you are attributing cost to it. So by what means did you have the elements of costing? These are verifiable facts at any time.
“Right now, I have gotten some of these contracts and I’m sending them to the EFCC, not just for the East West road. I have got a minimum of 30 to 40 contractors that I am sending to EFCC. On the East West road, I have taken a private consultant to review the whole cost, so some contractors will obviously refund money for which the present cost will be discounted.
“So when you see contractors ganging up and publishing things against me, you should know the foundation. But as far as I am here, I will do something that I feel is right," he said.
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, promised that the second Niger Bridge would be completed.
Osinbajo said the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to completing every project in the south east region of Nigeria.
He also said the president was China to negotiate construction of the second Niger Bridge and East West Road.
List President Buhari's achievements in two years - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Thursday, 14 December 2017