Ensure speedy completion of Gbaji-Apa-Owode Road project - Lawmaker

News Agency Of Nigeria

January 21, 2020 6:57 PM

Rep. Babatunde Hunpe, representing Badagry Constituency in Lagos State, has advised contractor handling the Gbaji-Apa-Owode Road to step up efforts and ensure its early completion.

Ensure speedy completion of Gbaji-Apa-Owode Road project (Punch)

Hunpe gave the advice on Tuesday in Badagry while inspecting the project awarded to a construction outfit, Smith Crown Nigeria Ltd.

Addressing the workers at the project site, Hunpe said he was at the site, basically to see the level of work done so far.

He added that the inspection was also to correct the impression of residents on the state of the project.

“I am here to see what you are doing. I read on pages of newspapers that youths in Badagry are condemning the slow pace of work.

“I am here to also correct the impression that the contractor has been fully paid. I know how much he has collected.

“When they approved the project, it took a long time before the Federal Government paid him mobilisation fees.

“So, those saying the contractor had collected the full money don’t know what they are saying.

“I am here for this inspection just to correct that impression,” Hunpe said.

On the challenges of supplying materials to the site, the lawmaker urged the contractor to engage local contractors to supply the granites and stones.

“Try and engage contractors in Badagry to supply you all the materials in the construction of the road so that if there is any delay, they will be held responsible.

“There are many people that are ready to supply you the materials here in Badagry, put them together to get what you want, but do not compromise on the quality of materials you want.

“Give them the sample and the price you want to buy from them, anyone that is not cooperating with you, remove them.

“Let the people know the local contractors working with you so that when the project is delayed, they will be held responsible and not you,” he said.

Hunpe commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the project and the Ministry of Works and Housing for supervising the project.

He urged the contractor to also employ residents of the communities in Badagry for the construction of the road.

The lawmaker urged the contractor to reach out to him, anytime they need his intervention to facilitate release of fund from government.

Also, Mrs Olufisayo Badmus, an Engineer in the Ministry of Works and Housing, supervising the project, assured the lawmaker that the work had started and it would not stop.

Badmus said the project had challenges in terms of supply of materials due to the deplorable state of the road to the site.

She said that most of the people contacted for supply of granites and stones to the site had abandoned the contract due to bad road.

A Site Engineer in-charge of the project, Mr David Ayodeji, said the company had employed 75 per cent of its workers from various communities within Badagry.

Ayodeji urged the residents to cooperate with the contractor in order to ensure a speedy completion of the project.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some Badagry residents had on Jan.15 expressed their disappointments on the inability of the contractor to hasten the rehabilitation of the Gbaji-Apa-Owode Road.

NAN also reports that the contract was awarded on June 13, 2018 by the Federal Government.

The highway is among the 14 road projects, valued at N185.2 billion, approved by the Federal Executive Council two years ago.

News Agency Of Nigeria