Works Minister, Umahi says ‘No damage to completed section of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE has affirmed that there is no damage to any of the completed works on Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Umahi made this confirmation on the state of the road on Thursday during an inspection of Section 2 of the highway project with officials of the ministry, HITECH officials and journalists.
The Minister of Works said there was a need to let Nigerians know that there was no damage to the Section 1 of the road to avoid misleading the public by those pushing out falsehoods on social media.
“There is no damage to the completed section. What you can see is this massive sand filling that we are doing, and then the stone base.
“Until it is covered, the rain is permitted to do whatever it wants to do. In all, it does help us technically.
“We have two and a half kilometres that we are tackling in a very terrible swamp. The sand filling would be completed in the next 40 days. When we have done all this work, and then we cover it, and then we put pavement, nobody will understand what has happened,” he emphasized.
He disclosed that in some places, there are over 20 feet of sand filling, and in others, there are over 26 feet.
The minister commended the contractor handling the project, Hitech Construction Company Ltd., for quality and speed of work.
“Hitech is capable of doing one kilometer of the coastal highway per day.
“We are not afraid about the timing. We gave them 36 months. They have done less than one and a half years.”
He announced that Hitech has also done over 10 kilometers in section 2 of the Coastal Highway of concrete pavement and in the next seven days they will start concreting at channel 89.
The minister, officials and journalists toured the site where Hitech is manufacturing over 30 dredgers.
Umahi applauded Hitech, saying that with their equipment, mobilization commitments the firm is what we look out for in partnership, hence they are development partners in Nigeria.
He introduced the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surv. Abudulganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin, who is now in the presidency with the mandate to work with the state governors and the ministry of works to acquire lands overriding public interest and for return on investment along these project sites all through the four legacy projects.
Earlier in her remark, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Engr. (Mrs.) Olukorede Kesha commended the Hitech company that they are up and doing having taken the work to section 2 of the highway.
Engr. Musa Saidu Director Highway Bridges and Design stated that the contractor is working with the road design and he is impressed with their performance.
On her part, Moremi Ojudu Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement South West, commended Mr President for the road project, saying that she is impressed with what the minister of works is doing in the South West in ensuring that the economic opportunities in this corridor is opened to all Nigerians.
The Managing Director of Hitech, Danny Abboud stated that they are at section 2 kilometer 77 of the road project, adding that they are committed to deliver the project ahead of time to international standard.
“We have started from channel forty-seven and half to channel 57 through the bypass to reach channel 77 all the way to channel 89 and beyond. We are reiterating the fact that we are committed to deliver this job ahead of time based on your supervision,” Hitech MD added.
PHOTO NEWS
