By Ayodele Oni
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has doused public anxiety as he directed the contractor handling the N95.9 billion Akure-Ado-Ekiti dual carriageway project to immediately return to site and complete the outstanding section of the road.
The directive followed concerns over the delay in the completion of the 50-kilometre highway, which was re-awarded by the Federal Executive Council in March 2023 as a dualisation project.
Former Ekiti central senator, Femi Ojudu has raised the alarm that the highway, which was awarded as a dualized road has been turned to one lane as the contractor on completion of work on single lane, exited the site.
The Controller of Works in Ondo State, Olajide Hussein, while responding to concerns over the stalled construction of the second carriageway,
said the Minister has ordered the contractor to resume work immediately, assuring residents and motorists that construction would recommence soon.
“The Honourable Minister has directed the contractor to resume work at the site immediately. So we should be expecting commencement any moment from now.”
According to him, the Federal Government has also reviewed the construction method for the remaining section of the project, with concrete now to be used instead of asphalt.
“You know the federal government has re-awarded the other section to be on concrete instead of asphalt for the first section. So any moment now, the contractor will resume work on site.”
He further disclosed that the contractor has approximately 12 months to complete the second carriageway once work resumes.
“The contractor has about twelve months to complete that second carriageway. So I believe when they resume, it will be at a very, very fast pace.”
The Akure-Ado-Ekiti road was originally awarded to Dantata & Sawoe in November 2019 at about N30 billion, but the contract was later cancelled.
On March 29, 2023, the Federal Executive Council approved its re-award as a 50-kilometre dualisation project for N95.98 billion.
The Akure-Ondo State boundary section was awarded to Samchase Nigeria Limited and Horizon Construction Company Limited for N46.68 billion, with a 24-month completion period, while Kopek Construction Limited received the Ekiti boundary-Ado-Ekiti section for N49.29 billion, with a 30-month completion timeline.
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