Construction Of Port Harcourt– Enugu Express Highway Is On Course-Fashola The Honourable of Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, said the on-going expansion and upgrading work on the Port Harcourt– Enugu and the Aba – Port Harcourt Expressway  was  on course. He added that the nine kilometers from Eleme junction to the Imo River and four kilometers of the road to the railway crossing in Aba towards Port Harcourt were sections of the road  being expanded and upgraded from the 4 (four) existing lanes to 8 (eight) lanes so as to accommodate current and future traffic volumes and ease some level of intolerable discomfort especially during the rainy season. Fashola disclosed this during an inspection tour of the highway project in Port- Harcourt,  the Rivers State capital. According to the minister, the road would link the five States in the South -East Geopolitical Zone of the country. The highway has a total length of 41.4km starting from Aba Rail Crossing Bridge within Aba township in Abia state and will finally terminate at Eleme junction Flyover in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Fashola applauded the initiative of the construction company, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Limited as it planned  to focus on the first 4 (four) lanes, finish that and put them in to use before reconstruction of the other 4 (four) lanes to reduce the long time spent in traffic by commuters and the community. “If people have two uninterrupted lanes, traffic may be slow but it will move, and therefore we can concentrate on finishing the remaining lanes. When we finish both, then we can have the full compliment of the 8 lane highway.” he said. Fashola said, “Our plan is to make this year better than last year and ultimately by next year, there will be no rainy season challenges because, we should have come out fully from this,”he added. The minister also disclosed that similar construction work had commenced at the Enugu and Okigwe axis of the highway project by different contractors to provide seamless traveling experience. Fashola directed that all vehicles parked at construction sites of highway projects should be impounded, adding that Federal government roads were not for parking lot. “Our highways are not parking lots, people who want to do business must create their own parking lots as well.’’ He urged local and state governments to mobilize their people to be alive to their civic responsibilities and cooperation, pointing out that community and personal hygiene were crucial  in this crisis of Coronavirus (Covid 19). "We must not waste the crisis that Covid-19 represents. It is an opportunity to improve on personal and community hygiene and sanitation such as putting an end to open urination and defecation,” Fashola advised. The Federal Controller of Works Rivers State, Engr. Johnson Fadire who conducted the minister, his team and journalists round the on-going  road construction project said the minister’s inspection was timely and that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing would do the needful to make sure the road was completed and delivered at the right time. Engr. Fadire also commended the traditional rulers who prevailed on their subjects whose properties were demolished for the construction of the highway for agreeing to accept an initial payment of fifty percent for compensation on their demolished properties. Speaking earlier, the project manager of CCECC Nigeria Limited, Mr. Zou Xiaomei one of the contractors handling section IV of the project in Rivers State said although there were initial challenges on the project but with the support of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing most of the challenges were sorted out. ...

FG's Road Intervention In FCE Eases Access To Seven Schools - Provost Provost of the Federal College of Education, Katsina, Dr Aliyu Idris Funtua has stated that the construction and rehabiliitation of the 1.22km internal road in the Federal College of Education Katsina by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has provided easy access to seven schools within the college. Dr Funtua listed the schools touches by the road within the College as; schools of education, languages, Adult & nor formal education, sciences, primary education & early childhood care, computer science department, and Art and Social sciences school. Other areas where the road passes are, Library and Girls Hostel. The Provost made this remarks during the handing over of the 1.22km internal road project completed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. "I remain grateful for this gesture, a commendable intervention. The road is the best road in the school that touches seven schools and has provided ease of access within the college" he said Dr Funtua who commmended the Federal Government and the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, also solicited that the minister to extend another 10km road in the school in the near future. The minister was represented at the handing over ceremony by the Katsina state Federal Controller of Works Engr Tunde Balogun. The Minister said that,  " it is undebatable that the quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the leaning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedback from the students of the schools where this type of intervention has taken place." Accordingly, Fashola also disclosed that, out of the forty three of such road intervention in tertiary institutions by his ministry across the country, seven have been completed of which the one in the Federal College of Education Katsina was among Resentatives of the students in the college who spoke include; Zaharadeen Sani, Aliyu Sa'du and Zulaihat Abdulrahim. According to the  students, "the poject was timely, beneficial and has eases access to seven schools for our lectures and easy access to Library and Female Hostels" Zaharadeen said ' this is a remarkable achievement since the inception of this administration and we appreciate the minister for this intervention"   ...

Quality Infrastructure, Impacting Quality Education -Fashola The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola,SAN said that the quality of infrastructural development within a country could un-debatably impact quality education and the learning environment. He made the remark at the handing over ceremony of  a completed internal road intervention project by the Federal Ministry of  Works and Housing at the University of Calabar, Cross River state. Fashola who was represented by the Federal Controller of Works Cross River State, Engr. Bassey Nsentip observed that the road completed had enhanced students mobility  and reduced stress in the learning environment. He further stated that although the road intervention project was a civil works project, the Federal Government intends to invest in education by improving the ambience and environment of tertiary institutions to  enhance academic activities. The Minister also disclosed that the Federal Government is presently working on the rehabilitation of 43 internal roads in federal tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country out of which 18 had been completed and being handed over. He said the 1.17km road handed over to the University of Calabar was among such roads, urging the school authority and students to ensure the asset was used and maintained properly. Speaking earlier the Vice Chancellor University of Calabar,Prof. Zana Akpagu who was full of delight for the laudable initiative disclosed that prior to its rehabilitation, the road was in a deplorable state. He added that before the rehabilitation the road was inaccessible for students to go through especially during the rainy season. Prof. Akpagu said the road now enables easy access to the hostels, classrooms, the medical department and the chapel. He thanked the President and the Minister of Works and Housing  for the road while believing that the government would do more roads and infrastructural interventions in future to help the university. Also in a chat with the media,  the Director of Finance and Supplies Cross River State Ministry of Works,Mr.Ebere  Ignatius thanked the Federal Government for the support and pledged more collaborations with  the federal government. ...