The yet-to-be-constituted Senate Committee on Works has been mandated to investigate the award of the contracts for the reconstruction/rehabilitation of Aba-Osisioma to Port-Harcourt, Umuahia-Ikot-Ekpene, and Aba to Ikot-Ekpene Roads, following the dilapidated condition of the roads.
This was done after a motion moved by the Senator representing Abia Central, Senator Darlington Nwokocha for the investigation of the delay in the Completion of Umuahia-Umidike-Ikot-Ekpene, Aba-Ikot-Ekpene and Aba-Ossisioma to Port-Harcourt Roads during the proceedings of the Senate on Tuesday, 11th of July, 2023.
The Senate Committee was mandated to also investigate the level of funds released, utilization, the level of work completed, and factors contributing to the unaccounted delays in the execution of the projects and report to the Senate within four (4) weeks for further legislative action.
Supporting the motion, the Senator representing Abia North and former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to urgently intervene and include the repair of failed portions of the roads in the proposed planned nationwide Federal Roads Repair during this rainy season as a palliative measure while ensuring that a full and permanent solution is devised to urgently complete the projects.
Meanwhile, the Senate invited the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works to provide the status of these roads and resolved that the Ministry of Finance would be mandated to also provide quarterly comprehensive information on funds released for ongoing projects.
Despite reports of Hartland Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling the reconstruction of the 50 km Umuahia-Ikoy Ekpene road in 2022, the road has remained dilapidated and has caused the death of many people particularly students of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike.
The company was awarded N13.2 billion to Hartland in 2019 and lack of funds paused the project but in 2021, the Federal Executive Council re-approved the project for funding by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) through the Road Tax Credit Scheme.
