UMAHI LAUD JULIUS BERGER OVER ABUJA-KADUNA-ZARIA-KANO ROAD PROJECT .... Says, Construction Firm Doing A Great Job

Engr David Umahi
Minister of Works 

.... Commend Julius Berger very highly for very good job, quality job, and a lot of what they are doing.

....  We are very happy with the area that has been completed.

..... Let me commit that all your outstanding certificates we will be able to pay you within one week, so if you have any certificate that is due or new one, we will be able to pay you.

 

Leading construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has been commended for its prompt remobilisation to its Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, AKR project site and for working assiduously to assuage the trauma of commuters and related users of the ever-busy highway.

The commendation, which came personally from the Minister of Works, David Umahi, follows a period of disagreements over request of variation of payments by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

Umahi gave the commendation over the weekend in Kaduna and Kano during intermittent media interaction when he paid a working visit to the 375km-long road Saturday even as he declared that the months of frictions and misunderstanding between his ministry and Julius Berger are over.

Engr Umahi, who disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent him to address the lingering slow-down on the critical project, said the AKR project should be ready for commissioning May 29, 2025, and should be completed before then. 

To ensure compliance, Umahi said the AKR project has been split among three contractors with Julius Berger ceding some kilometres of the road to Dangote-Hitech Construction Company Limited and BUA Group.

He told journalists that "Mr President directed that we should come back to the root today and then we should hand over the three sections to the three contractors, to complete. 

"Our target is from June to get the job completed, about May 29th 2025." He said.

The Minister added that, "the first section is about 38kms which were earlier on handed over to Dangote-Hitech on tax credit, and are going to do it on concrete, but we are looking at the project, that they were certain issues that were captured before like the shoulders, and we also have 2kms at Chainage Zero of the road going to Lokoja, and we directed that it should be included."

He pointed out that "the Ministry of Works is going to rework that scope of Dangote-Hitech to include that 2km and include the concreting of the shoulders beyond the 2.75 mandatory shoulder.

He further disclosed that, "at Km 139 + 520, was part of Julius Berger’s stretch of the highway.

"We are now at the section of Julius Berger and it’s the last section for Berger. They have the remaining 82 kilometres by 2 and that is in Kaduna axis, and they also have about 6 kilometres at the Chainage 11 which they have to do. 

"However, we agreed with Berger that for them to complete this job by May next year, they must come up in four sections and right now they are working in one section. 

"Let me commend Julius Berger very highly for very good job, quality job, and a lot of what they are doing; we are very happy with the area that has been completed. However, we do not want work on this road, Abuja to Kano to last beyond May 29th 2025, so we are going to be discussing with Julius Berger.

"Let me commit that all your outstanding certificates we will be able to pay you within one week, so if you have any certificate that is due or new phone one, we will be able to pay you." Umahi assured.

The Minister revealed that the planned meeting with Julius Berger will cover discussions on how many kilometres of work the company can complete out of the 82km by 2 which is 164 kilometres before May 29th, 2025.  

He added that, what Berger cannot finish would also have to given to Dangote under tax credit. 

The therefore directed the Director in charge of Highways at the Ministry to coordinate the meeting promptly scheduled for Tuesday.

"I know you have complained about the rate especially on network and some concrete work. We are ready to review the rate so that you will be happy to work freely." Engr Umahi told Julius Berger.

Umahi thanked Julius Berger for the good quality job and for its commitment and believing in Mr. President by re-mobilising to site even without being paid.  

He assured that Mr. President had made available some money to be released to the construction company immediately. 

"No more fight between Julius Berger and Ministry of Works; we must work together. The fight was not unhealthy. Julius Berger wanted a price that they will be able to work with and not to lose; and the Ministry of Works also argued that they can’t pay considering the economic situation we have come to find ourselves in the country. It is a give and take; a marriage of partnership and relationships and so there were bound to be some friction." The Minister stated.

"The friction is over now. Julius Berger is working at Bodo-Bonny; Julius Berger is also working at Odukpani; and wherever they are not working, we are willing to sit down with them and see what we can do." He stressed.

Seizing the opportunity to launch the Ministry’s Operation Free Our Roads, the Minister said its sole objective is to immediately do some palliative works on the road to mitigate accidents and related incidents at failed portions of the road.

"While on this route, we noticed some sections which we are going to be asking them, both Julius Berger and Dangote-Hitech to immediately handle. We have Chainage 38 and 39 which needs an immediate intervention in of terms palliatives; we have Chainage 42.8, it needs palliative, we have Chainage 52 too. You know it’s a diversion, and a stone base should be used immediately on it.  We have Chainage 68.5, and it has to be repaired immediately, we have Chainage 70, and we have Chainage 86, that is diversion and it needs to be filled with stone base, among others." He said