President Bola Tinubu has backed Minister of Works Dave Umahi’s intentions to employ concrete for road construction across the country, despite what he described as a “gang-up” by some road contractors opposed to the strategy.
He revealed this to State House Correspondents after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
According to him, some contractors have banded together with the support of “enemies within” to undermine the strategy, and President Tinubu has given him the go-ahead to fight the blackmail and do what is right and for the interest of Nigerians.
Umahi noted that some have taken advantage of the policy at the same time that large cement makers have agreed to lower rates for such government road builders.
He also emphasized the advantages of cement roads over asphalt/bitumen roads, such as lower costs and the need to boost local cement manufacture over bitumen importation.
Umahi cautioned contractors against the risky practice of securing approximately 20 projects but deploying as low as two units of equipment to the site.
He said: “There are some elements within that are also fighting me, who are also benefitting from the system and that is the greatest problem we have and I just can’t pretend. I will flush those elements out and send them to ICPC to handle them because nobody can hold this country to ransom. So I’m giving them the last chance to conform so we can help Mr. President to reset the country.
“Then, we’re also leveraging on the contract we signed; it’s 14 days’ notice we are going to give. I’ve had more than 10 different meetings with contractors where we discussed this. We developed the design, we even developed the cost of doing concrete from the first principle; how much is cement, and the cement factories, the Dangote, and the BUA, have agreed to give special discounts to our contractors who are going to engage in concrete road pavement, and many contractors are already doing it.
“Not all the contractors are in this gang up, many contractors have come to sign the addendum, doing the road pavements. Those who are meeting are going to be losers and before them, they will see that we do the job and we will do it very well.”
Umahi pointed out that Clause 51 of the general contract requirements, which are part of the contract signed with contractors, permits the government to do this.
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