Julius Berger logo, David Umahi
By Our Reporter
Construction firms, Julius Berger, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company and the Raynolds Construction Company may lose the contract of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway if they do not mobilise to site
This is according to the Minister of Works, David Umahi. The minister stated this while speaking during the Stakeholders’ Engagement on Alignment of 3b and 4 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway held at Ibom Hall, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday.
The minister said after the expiration next week of the 14 notices earlier given to the contractors, any of them who failed to mobilise to site would have their contract terminated.
Umahi expressed disappointment that the contractors had been giving excuses of non-payment of compensation as reasons for not mobilising to the site.
He noted that the Akwa Ibom State government had already settled the compensation issues as it concerned Calabar-Itu road.
He said, “If you talk to them, they will say it is because of compensation and this governor, Akwa-Ibom State, had settled compensation issues, so we are giving them a marching order to ECECC to mobilize at least 3 sections of that road.
“Mr President has given enough money to fund the projects. The same thing with Julius Berger, by the end of this coming week, if Julius Berger fails to remobilize to the site and the ECECC fails to mobilize to at least 3 sections of the road, the jobs will be terminated.
“The worst of the road in the entire South-South remains this Akwa Ibom to Cross River through Itu and Odukpani and also the section that is being done by RCC. RCC had collected over N40bn on that road 15 kilometres of roads, N156bn inherited from the past administration, they are playing tricks. We have been on them to change their mindset, and by the end of next week, our 14 days notice of termination of the contract will elapse, and we will terminate the projects and give to those who have mastery of laying concrete.” Umahi sounded wit a note of finality.
