Paucity of funds stalls federal road projects in states — Investigations

Many of the contracts for the rehabilitation/reconstruction of deplorable federal roads in some states of the federation are currently delayed due to paucity of funds. Findings by Nigerian Tribune showed that some of the roads, which contracts were awarded in 2018 with 2021 set as delivery date, are still at an infant stage, while in some situations, the contractors have abandoned the construction sites, leaving residents and motorists in agony while passing through the roads on a daily basis.

Some of the federal highways under investigations cut across Lagos, Kwara, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo States.

The roads, which rehabilitation/reconstruction works have been delayed include the N20.8 billion Ikorodu-Shagamu road; N56 billion Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway; N63.2 billion Agbara– Badagry road; Ilorin-Jebba; Ilorin-Omu Aran-KabbaEgbe road, Igosun-Offa-Erin Ile, dualisation of Michael Imoudu-Ganmo junction, Ila-Igbeti road, Share-Patigi road, Patigi-Kabba road, Afon-Igbeti, Offa bypass construction and Ajase-Offa-Osi boundary in Kwara State.

Others are Akure-Ikere road (N22.6 billion), Ofosu/Ajebamdele/Shagamu road in Ondo State; Federal Secretariat-Obokun road, Ojutu bridge, Osogbo/Ilobu road; Ogbomoso road, Ilesa-Osogbo road, Osogbo-Iwo Road in Osun State and Calabar-Itu road and the Obehie-Azumini-Iwukem-Ekparakwa in Akwa Ibom State.

Oyo State is not left out, as no fewer than 11 federal road projects in the state also suffered delays.

Fielding questions from journalists during the recent inspection tour of the ongoing reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan road at Lotto in Mowe, Ogun State, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, cited paucity of funds as a setback for some of the road projects.

While calling on the federal lawmakers representing Lagos and Ogun states to ensure increased budgetary allocation for the roads to ensure their speedy completion, he said: “When people say Fashola is looking away, I am not looking away, I just can’t find the money.”

Findings by Nigerian Tribune showed that the rehabilitation works on the 30.4-kilometre Ikorodu-Shagamu road, awarded to Messrs Arab Contractors in 2018 at the cost of N20.8 billion, is in a dilapidated state and abandoned, while N56 billion Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway, N63.2 billion Agbara–Badagry road in Lagos were slowed down due to funding issue.

According to a resident in Ogijo, a community along the axis, Mr Adebayo Agbelere, the delay in executing the project is causing residents and motorists pains, especially during the rainy season.

Although the contractor had done about 25 per cent of the construction work, residents along the axis are worried over the slow pace of the project.

During a visit to Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road, awarded first in 2000, about 21 years ago, the contractor, Julius Berger Plc, was seen carrying out rehabilitation work on the expressway. Residents on the axis of 46km Agbara–Seme section of the Badagry expressway, awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited in 2018, wondered why it was taking the contractor ages to finish the construction.

During the visit by Nigerian Tribune, pockets of workers were seen repairing some failed sections of the expressway, while an engineer on the site, who also works with the Federal Ministry of Works, said funding was the reason for the delay.

In the words of the engineer, who begged not to be quoted, “Fashola is very passionate about the timely completion of this road. As a former governor of Lagos State, every day in Abuja, he holds meetings with the contractor handling the project. But you know, this is federal and not when he was just in charge of a state.

“The construction work is slow because of the funding issue. The contractor is not entirely to be blamed because when you get N4 billion out of a possible N63.2 billion, you don’t expect the contractor to perform magic.

“Hopefully, before 2023, the project should be done and commissioned. The minister is not relenting and is making all efforts to ensure the people of Badagry smile while going or coming out of their homes.”

When contacted in Kwara State, Federal Controller of Works, Wasiu Atiteni, said there were no abandoned federal roads in the state, but pointed out that their progress could be determined by the rainy season and availability of funds.

Atiteni mentioned some major roads to include dualisation of Ilorin-Jebba; rehabilitation of Ilorin-Omu Aran-Kabba-Egbe road, rehabilitation of Igosun-Offa-Erin Ile, dualisation of Michael Imoudu-Ganmo junction, rehabilitation of Ila-Igbeti road, rehabilitation of Share-Patigi road, rehabilitation of Patigi-Kabba road, rehabilitation of Afon-Igbeti, Offa bypass contruction and phase 2 of Ajase-Offa-Osi boundary.

“All the above are aside from some intervention/palliative projects that come up from time to time, like the recent intervention along Ilorin-Eyenkorin. The emergency intervention has been undertaken and vehicles are now plying the road. Other intervention projects are the section around Agric area of Ilorin metropolis, where the road is usually flooded.

“None of these roads are abandoned. Contractors are there. To be abandoned means that the contractors are fed up with the project. We are in the rainy season. Sometimes too, the progress on these roads is determined by availability of funding. But none of them is abandoned,” he said. The federal works controller, who refused to give contract sum figures for the roads being handled by the Federal Government in Kwara State, said, “we have not less than 15 projects in Kwara State alone.”

In Oyo State, the Federal Controller of Works, Mr Kayode Ibrahim, also attributed the slow pace of work on some federal road projects in the state to paucity of funds.

He, however, said despite the challenge, rehabilitation and reconstruction works were ongoing on many federal roads located in the state, asserting that none was abandoned. Findings by Nigerian Tribune indicated that the Odo Oba-Taki road project had been abandoned. Besides, out of the ongoing 10 federal road projects in Oyo, three have not reached the 10 per cent completion stage.

These roads are the reconstruction of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa dual carriageway in Oyo and Osun axis, awarded on October 8, 2019 at the cost of N79.8 billion. It is presently at 0.08 per cent completion stage.

Others are rehabilitation of N4.6 billion Odo-Ona EleweIdi Ayunre-Mamu road, awarded in July 2020 at the sum of N4.6 billion currently at 3.05 per cent completion and the N7.2 billion Igboho-Oloko-Agbonle road awarded in December 2019, now at 1.21 per cent completion stage.

Seven federal road projects at appreciable completion stages in Oyo are Tewure-Ajinapa (N957.8 million), now at 70 per cent completion stage; Ogbomoso-Oko-Ilogbo-Osogbo road (N3.8 billion), at 73.39 per cent completion stage; Igbo Ile-Okin connector road (N585.4 million), 79.06 per cent stage; outstanding section of Iseyin-Okeho road, including two bridges (N6.8 billion), now at 36.57 per cent, dualisation of Ibadan-Ilorin, Section 2: Oyo-Ogbomoso (N105 billion), 46.40 per cent; dualisation of Abeokuta-Ibadan road (N4.7 billion), 79.20 per cent and the rehabilitation of bridge at Km 37, across Ogun River, along Maya-Iseyin road (N494 million), now at 57.93 per cent completion stage.

Ibrahim said the Federal Government was determined to ensure provision of effective road networks across the country, bearing in mind the critical influence on economic growth.

In Ondo State, the Federal Ministry of Works denied the abandonment of any federal roads in the state. Some of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was no abandoned road project in the state.

They pointed out works already ongoing on the N22.6 billion Akure/Ikere road and Ofosu/Ajebamdele/Shagamu road, two major projects in the state.

In Osun State, findings by Nigerian Tribune showed that some of the federal road projects are in a pitiable condition due to negligence. Some of the abandoned projects are the Federal Secretariat, Obokun road, Ojutu bridge, Osogbo/Ilobu-Ogbomoso road, Ilesa-Osogbo road, Osogbo-Iwo road and others.

The Ibadan-Lagere-Ilesa bypass in Osun State had skeletal work but had been abandoned as engineers and workers were not on site. Also, the erosion control and road rehabilitation in Ila-Orangun to Oyin-Adunni/ Oyin-Aiyadun in Ifedayo Local Government Area of the state is ongoing, though the pace of work is slow.

In Akwa Ibom State, Nigerian Tribune gathered that two major federal highways, Calabar-Itu road, linking Cross River and Akwa Ibom and the Obehie-Azumini-Iwukem-Ekparakwa highway, connecting Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom states, had been abandoned. Except for some palliative works by the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Nigerian Tribune did not see other major intervention works by the Federal Government.

It was gathered that a series of petitions and pressure from the state House of Assembly forced the Federal Government to approve the release of N79.6 billion for the road. But checks revealed that the contractor, Julius Berger, is yet to mobilise to site.

Speaking during a media interaction, Governor Emmanuel Udom expressed displeasure over the state of the road, as he lamented that, “I wanted to fix the road and I asked Julius Berger, they said they have no funds. When I wanted to do it, I was prevented. Then, I asked Julius Berger whether they have gotten money, they said no.”

Governor Emmanuel said he had mobilised N140 billion, part of which, he said, were used in fixing the Akwa Ibom portion of the Nto Edino in Obot Akara Local Government Area of the state to Ekwere-Azu in Abia State.

It will be recalled that part of the Akwa Ibom section of the road was fixed during the administration of the former governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, at the cost of N142 billion and, according to the Chief of Staff (CoS) to Governor Emmanuel, Mr Ephraim Inyang, who was the then commissioner for works, “only N7 billion out of the N142 billion had so far been refunded to the state government.”

Another abandoned federal road is the Akwa Ibom section of the Obehie (Rivers State) to Azumini (Abia State) to terminate at Ekparakwa, in Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The project, it was gathered, was awarded to the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs during the administration of former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, when the then minister, Godsday Orubebe, was in charge. Speaking to Nigerian Tribune, the chief press secretary to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Jackson Udom, who could not disclose the cost of the contract, was quick to assure that the road would be fixed.

“The minister has gotten the presidential mandate to deliver all the major roads in Niger Delta and very soon, the job will be done”, he stressed.

In Ekiti State, many travellers and motorists were stranded on major roads at the weekend. Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Honourable Femi Bamisile, in a reaction said staggering sum of N460 billion budgeted for construction and maintenance of federal roads in 2021 appropriation was not having any positive effect on Nigerians. While addressing some angry commuters who got stranded on Igede-Aramoko-Efon road, on Sunday, he bemoaned the state of the roads and the agony of the commuters.

Bamisile described the N30 billion allocated to FERMA out of the budgetary provision to works ministry as “paltry, wicked and insensitive.”

He also visited Ado-IlaweIgbara-Oke and Ado-IkereAkure road, where similar situations were experienced.

“On my return to Abuja, I will take this matter up. I have been to the North, South and everywhere, we are experiencing bad roads and this is because of poor funding and this must change because Nigerians are really suffering,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)