The Minister of Works, Nweze David Umahi, has reprimanded the poor construction methodology deployed by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Limited on the rehabilitation works on the Aba bound of the Rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, contract No. 6252.
The minister, who was on a routine supervision of ongoing road projects within South south and South east on Sunday 19th October, expressed displeasure over the recalcitrance of the contractor in complying with the new construction codes and regulations which are aimed at building enduring road infrastructure for the nation.
A statement by special assistant on Media, Orji Uchenna Orji, Monday said the minister speaking during the inspection visit, decried the state of the 43-km Aba-Port Harcourt inherited ongoing project handled by CCECC, which was on the verge of total collapse.
He directed that a 14-day notice of termination be issued to the contractor, having regard to the various warning letters issued to the contractor over their poor construction performance on the said job.
He further directed that the Port Harcourt bound of the project be descoped and re-awarded to a competent contractor.
He said: “If you get to Port Harcourt end, which they did about two years or thereabout, the entire road has almost totally failed. We have been writing them to maintain this road. They have refused, and so I have to take responsibility and make a decision. Number one, the Port Harcourt bound is descoped, is no longer going to be done by CCECC. I will direct the Ministry of Works to scout out for very qualified indigenous contractors to handle the Port Harcourt bound.
“They should be the contractor that will start work immediately, while we sort out funds for them. Number two, for the site handled by CCECC, they should issue them a 14- day notice of termination of the job. I want this directive to go very wide. After 14 days, if they fail to mill out the binder and replace it properly, the job will be terminated; they have to initiate it; they have to commit to doing that,” he said.
