Umahi Inspects Kaiama-Ahoada Section of East-West Road

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi yesterday, inspected the ongoing rehabilitation of Kaiama-Ahoada section of the East-West road destroyed by the disastrous flood that occurred in 2022 in Rivers State.

The minister had on Monday, inspected the Aba- Umuahia section of the Port Harcourt – Enugu Road and the Eleme-Onne section of the East -West road.

During the visit at the Kaiama-Ahoada section road repair, THISDAY observed that the contractor, Rock Results Nigeria Limited, had already started casting curvets for the road rehabilitation to commence properly.

Indigenous labourers were also sighted at the construction site,  busy trying to meet up with time estimated for the project.

At the site for Umuahia-Aba section of the Port Harcourt of the road being handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Umahi who was pleased with the ongoing job, assured that federal government is determined to give Nigerians better and solid roads.

He faulted those who are criticising some of the projects, saying that as an experienced engineer who have served the country in different capacity, would deliver, especially now that he is the works minister.

He commended the contractors for their work saying: “I am very impressed with their work. They are also doing what we have been emphasising that we should make the carriage ways motorable and the little places that are left, before the end of April, I am directing that they should complete it.

“Let me say that this section of the road is so bad, and what we are doing here by our redesign is to dig, sometimes up to one metre , then we fill back with lumps, sharp sand and stone base and turn it to traffic and in so doing I am sure the road will be protected.”

To Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited (RCC), contractors handling rehabilitation of the Eleme-Onne section of the East-West road, Umahi said the speed was not very good.

“The RCC if they do not increase the pace, I will take out a portion of this road and give to other contractors. We would not want a contractor to stay on a job like this 15km by 30km even though is a very specialised kind of construction.

“Those who are querying for the cost of this coastal road, at the time the design was not like this, was more expensive that the normal road per kilometre. We were quarrying before, but they are presently following instructions,” Umahi added.