•Fubara, Sen. Dickson and others at the commissioning
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has hailed Nigeria’s leading engineering construction company as a very understanding company that has been committed to the development of infrastructure in the state, and indeed the country.
The governor spoke during the historic commissioning of the Emohua-Kalabari road constructed by the company.
Reacting to remarks by the Deputy Regional Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Rimon Marisho, the governor said the company’s representative may have deliberately refused to state the obvious on the cost of the contract because of the understanding the company has shown in all their undertakings across the state.
He said: “Let me also say it here, maybe, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC was being economical with their presentation. On my table as I am talking to you, there is a request for variation of the cost of this project.
“This is because, as at the time this project was awarded, and while the project was on-going, there were serious exchange rate differences. But I told them not to worry that they should go ahead and complete this project, and I assured them that we will sort them out and they accepted.”
Amidst overwhelming ovation for the company, the governor added that the position the company took on the matter showed patriotism worthy of emulation by other companies working for government.
Earlier in his presentation, Morisho said the Emohua-Abalama-Tema Junction Road project was awarded to the company in February, 2023, with a completion period of 18 months.
He further said: “Because of our company’s commitment to meeting contractual obligations, we ensured delivery of the project in good quality and ahead of schedule.
“Julius Berger is proud to have contributed significantly to the development of infrastructure in this region, and we are grateful to Governor Fubara for the opportunity, including the trust reposed in them to be part of his success story.”
Commenting on the project, l Fubara said it was awarded on February 18, 2023, by the immediate past administration at the cost of N21.2 billion but only paid N6 billion.
Fubara stated that his administration paid the remainder of N15.2 billion and completed 70 percent of the job to confidently claim it as part of his projects delivered for the good of the people in Kalabari land.
“So, let me thank the four local government areas which co-operated to make this project a success: Emohua, Asari-Toru, Degema and Akuku-Toru. And let me also thank the traditional leadership of the Kalabari Kingdom, please just be peaceful, everything that we desire, by the special grace of God, will definitely come our way,” he further said.
In his presentation, the Permanent Secretary of Rivers State Ministry of Works, Atemea Briggs, said the Emohua-Kalabari Road is 15.24 kilometres in length, and was awarded at the cost of N21.26 billion by the previous administration, which paid only 28 percent of that sum, which amounted to N6 billion with work left at preliminary stage.
Briggs said other features of the road that is serving as major access into Kalabari land include its width as 5.3 meters, with asphalt thickness of 100 millimeters – made up of 60 millimeters concrete asphaltic binder course and 40 millimeters asphaltic wearing course, with a median divide of 600 millimeters and installed street light, now completed and fully paid.
In her welcome address, the vice chairman of Asari-Toru local government area, Mrs Tekena Daphne Wokoma, recalled that the road, which was properly constructed with bridges first in the 1990s, eventually collapsed few years after.