Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway: FG Budgets Extra N30bn, Warns Contractors

The minister of Works Dave Umahi has warned contractors handling the Lagos/ Ibadan expressway to complete the remaining part of the road on time.

Failure to do this, the minister said, will lead to the take-over of its construction to another contractor.

Umahi gave the warning on Tuesday, and warned that April this year has been given to contractors handling the road to complete it or face revocation.

The minister who briefed state House Correspondents in Abuja, the nation’s capital after the Federal Executive Council Meeting, FEC, said the project have been delayed for too long by the contractors.

The contractors handling the road include, German Construction giant, Julius Berger, RCC, who have already been paid N213 billion contract sum.

The minister however said the an additional N30 billion has been allocated for the completion of the road after it was ‘re-scoped, adding that the federal government is poised to commission the road soon, and that further delay is no longer acceptable.

According to him, “We are poised to take over some parts of the route if they are not completed by April because we need to commission that project.

“The contract value of what is left is about N4 billion and then the Lagos-bound is about 8.55 kilometer and this is what we re-scoped. That amount is N22 billion so you technically have about N30 billion, even though the total value of the project is N213 billion.

“But don’t forget that what is needed to complete that route is N30 billion and that’s Arab Contractors.”