The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the award of N169.74 billion contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of ten roads across the country.
With the award, it is expected that 2,750 direct jobs will be generated with over 90 per cent to be taken up by Nigerian workers.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola stated the roads will open up settlements, provide access for evacuation of goods and services and improve socio-economic lives of the beneficiary communities.
The Special Adviser to the Minister on Communications, Hakeem Bello, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, explained the approval was sequel to a memorandum presented to the Council by Fashola on May 2nd, 2019.
The roads include: Umuahia(Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, Umudike in Abia State; Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section1) in Cross River State; construction of Yola-Fufore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State; rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure road in Ekiti State and rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State border road in Katsina State.
Others are: rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in Benue State; rehabilitation of Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border); rehabilitation and dualisation of the 74Km Aba-Ikot Ekpene road in Abia/Akwa Ibom States; construction of four kilometre township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State and rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State border road in Gombe State.
Details of the amount awarded for each contract, the contractors it was awarded to and dates for completion of each roads are: “The Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road is awarded to Messrs Hartland Nigeria Limited/ Raycon and Company Nigeria Limited in the sum of N13,296,283,958.68 with a completion date of 48 months
“The rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang road (Section1) in Cross River State is awarded to Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited in the sum of N27,781,851,866.55 with a completion date of 24 months while the construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin Road (approximately 56KM) is awarded to Messrs Wiz China Worldwide Engineering Limited in the sum of N13,643,670,884.81 with a completion date of 12 months.
“The rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti–Igede-Aramoko-
The statement added: “The memorandum also shows that while Messrs Rockbridge Construction Limited will rehabilitate the 43 Km (approximately) Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in 24 months at the cost of N11,892,018,600.00, Messrs Arab Contractors O.A.O Nigeria Limited will rehabilitate Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border) (Approximately 90Km) in 24 months at the cost of N31,946,055,289.93 and Messrs CGGC Global Project will rehabilitate and dualize the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in 24 months at the cost of N30,649,735,111.38.”
Also included in the award are the construction of a 4 kilometre Township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State by Messrs Birak Engineering & Construction Company Limited in the sum of N1,755,086,798.85 with a completion period of 12 months and the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road by Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited to be completed within 24 months in the sum of N14,048,396,236.88.
On the employment opportunities the road rehabilitation and construction would create, Fashola said the 50KM Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot-Ekpene Road would create between 180 to 200 jobs with 90 per cent of the jobs for Nigerians and 10 per cent for expatriates.
He said the rehabilitation of the approximately 60 Km Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section1) in Cross River State, will generate between 400 and 500 jobs with 40 per cent of the jobs for Senior Nigerians and 100 per cent for intermediate workers.
For the construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State, he said it will generate no less than 300 jobs with 90 per cent reserved for Nigerians and 10 per cent for expatriates.
“200-250 workers will be employed in the rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State with 90 per cent of the jobs to be handled by Nigerians and 10 per cent by expatriates, the rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State will generate 200 jobs with 80 per cent for Nigerians and 20 per cent for expatriates.
“In the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section)in Benue State, according to the Minister, 100 workers will be employed with 90 per cent of them Nigerians and 10 per cent expatriates while 400-500 workers will be employed in the rehabilitation of Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border) with Nigerians constituting 90 per cent while expatriates will make up the remaining 10 per cent of the work force.”
The Minister said the rehabilitation and dualisation of Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom States will generate 200 jobs with Nigerians taking 80 per cent of the jobs and expatriates take 10 per cent.
According to Fashola: “200 workers will be employed in the construction of the 4 kilometre Township Road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State with 10 per cent of the jobs to be done by expatriates and 90 per cent by Nigerians, the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road in Gombe State will generate 300 jobs with 90 per cent for Nigerians and expatriates making up the remaining 10 per cent of the workforce.”