Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Works, on Thursday, said it might demand for the revocation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Abuja road contract being handled by Julius Berger Plc due to alleged delays in the completion of the project by the contractors.
The committee, which expressed disappointment with the pace of work, stated that the House might be compelled to ask the government to award the project to other contractors, so as to ensure that the project is completed within the life span of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
According to the lawmakers, it is disappointing that after about 27 months since the commencement of work on the Abuja -Kaduna Road project, only less than 10 percent of the work has been done.
The chairman of the committee, Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, who spoke on the progress of work done during an oversight visit to the project site, insisted that the contractor must deliver on the contract by May 2021 which is the terminal date for the completion of the road.
Abubakar noted that the complains of lack of funding for the project by the contractors, is no excuse for the slow pace of work, as government has committed enormous resources to the project already.
He added that the House will not accept any extension of the completion date or a variation of the project.
However the North Central Zonal Director of Works in the Federal Ministry of Works, Kunle Yusuf told the Committee that 40 percent of the work on section one of the project (Abuja-Kaduna) covering about 62 kilometres has been completed out of about 165 kilometers in section one.