Nigeria’s Works Minister Decries High Cost of Construction Materials    …Orders arrest of traders

Nigeria’s Works Minister Decries High Cost of Construction Materials

  …Orders arrest of traders

By Sampson Uhuegbu

    The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, says the  rising cost of

construction materials is slowing down the rate of road work across the country.

The minister who stated this in Aba during the inspection of Aba axis of the Enugu Port Harcourt express road.

Umahi who also frown at activities of the traders, who have started selling at one lane already completed, driving against traffic, parking and dumping of refuse indiscriminately.

The minister visibly angry directed the security operatives attached to his motorcade to arrest the erring traders, trading on the road still undergoing rehabilitation, saying that they would be charged to court according to the law of the land.

In his words “It appears the people here like to inflict injuries on themselves.

they can’t even allow the contractor to work.

“They drive against traffic. They use the completed road for parks, trading and dumping of refuse.

“The whole of Aba refuse is being dumped on this road. It is not encouraging at all.

“I will advise the governor to set up a task force here. We wouldn’t like after the Federal Government had spent so much here we see people building and trading on the road.

“So, the only way out for this work to be completed is for the governor to set up a task force and clear the road.

“The citizens of this country will need to do their bit, while leadership also does its bit. That is the only way it will work”.umahi reiterated.

He noted that the President is going through alot on how to solve the problems of a very bad inherited economy, while he called on Nigerians to support him to succeed.

He noted that the Enugu Port Harcourt road project was first awarded about 10 years ago, had yet to be completed because of the high cost of construction materials.

He disclosed that when he resumed on August 2023, bitumen was N500,000 per ton, but today it’s about N1.3 million. He said is the reason he is calling for the use of  concrete that is almost about 95 per cent sourced locally.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the level of job done by the contractor handling the project.

Speaking earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Abia, Mr Tony Onwubiko, disclosed that the road project covered about 57km from Abia Tower in Umuahia  to the Railway Crossing at Alaoji in Osisioma LGA.