No Bridge Has Collapsed Along Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road- FG The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Monday, strongly dispelled as fake, news circulating in the social media speculating that some bridges along Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road, especially Tatabu Bridge, collapsed and advising motorists to avoid the route. The Ministry clarified that there is no bridge collapse along the route and urged members of the public to disregard any mischievous circulation of old pictures as a recent incident. In a Press Release signed by the Deputy Director, Press, Mr Stephen Kilebi, the Ministry confirmed that all the bridges along the route are in good motorable condition pointing out that the route was very recently traversed to confirm the condition of the bridges. Dispelling the news as unfounded, the Press Release noted that the Federal Controller of Works/Engineer’s Representative in Niger State, Engr. I.F. Umeh, who along with other officers travelled on the road up to the Kwara State border confirmed that, “All the bridges are in good and passable condition. There is no bridge that collapsed along the road. The Tatabu Bridge is intact and in perfect condition”, adding that there is also free vehicular movement along the entire stretch of the road. While advising motorists to ignore any fake news of bridge collapse along the aforementioned road, the Ministry stressed the need for caution, especially by those using the social platform for the dissemination of news pointing out that the circulation of such unconfirmed and fake news concerning an important public utility such as the Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road could trigger off a situation that could have grave economic consequences to the nation. ...

Better Travel Experience, More Jobs Ahead As FEC Approves N166b Contracts For Construction,Rehabilitation Of 14 Roads Nationwide *  Abia, Kano, Edo, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Imo  among 11 beneficiary States and the FCT *  Over 3,000 employment opportunities to be generated during contract execution with Nigerians taking major share of available direct jobs *  Roads to open up settlements, provide access and improve socio-economic lives of beneficiary communities In furtherance of its commitment to improve the nation’s transportation infrastructure and restore its road network as a means to create employment and boost the economy, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the award of N166 billion contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of 14 roads nationwide. The approval, which is sequel to a memorandum by the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN to the Council, was, according to the document dated September 3, 2019, sought by the Ministry in line with the objectives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Federal Government one of which is to open up settlements and provide access for the evacuation of goods and services nationwide. Roads listed for the award, according to the memorandum, include the Kotangora-Rijau Road in Niger State which will involve the construction of two bridges, Kano-Katsina Roads which involves the construction of additional lane from the Airport Roundabout to Dawanau Roundabout in Kano State, Kotangora-Bangi Road in Niger State and the Outer Marina-Bonny Camp Road and Eko Bridge through Apongbon Bridge with Access Ramp in Lagos State. Also on the list are Irrua-Edenu-Ibore-Udomi-Uwessan Road in Edo State which is slated for rehabilitation, Ilobu - Erinle Road in Kwara/Osun States billed for construction, construction of Wudil Bridge to link Gaban Komi with Wudil bypass along Maiduguri Road in Kano State, Wukari-Ibi Road in Taraba State billed for rehabilitation and construction of Baro-Port Gulu Town Road in Niger State. Others are Ajingi-Jahun-Kafin Hausa Road in Jigawa State slated for rehabilitation, Aba-Owerri Road and NNPC Expressway in Abia State also billed for rehabilitation, Kaleyeri-Damaturu Road in Yobe State billed for rehabilitation, two outstanding sections of Oba-Nnewi-Arondizuogu-Okigwe Road in Imo/Anambra States also for reconstruction and the construction of Yaba-Yangogi Road in the Federal Capital Territory. According to the Memorandum, the contract for the construction of two bridges, Lioji and Gulbin-Boka Bridges at Kotangora-Rijau Road will be executed by Messrs Nael & Bin Harmal Hydroexport Nigeria Limited at a contract cost of N1.13 billion with a completion period of 12 months while the construction of additional lane on Kano-Katsina Road in Kano will be executed by Messrs Zerock Construction Nigeria Limited within a period of 24 months at the cost of N9.5billion. The reconstruction of Kotangora-Bangi Road in Niger State will be executed by Messrs CBC Global Civil & Building Construction Nigeria Limited within 48 months at the cost of N20.4 billion, while the rehabilitation of Outer Marina-Bonny Camp Road and Eko Bridge through Apongbon Bridge with Access Ramps will be done by Messrs CCECC with a completion date of 12 months at the cost of N9.3 billion. The rehabilitation of Irrua-Edenu-Ibore-Udomi-Uwessan Road in Edo State is awarded to Messrs Mikky-Tai Engineering & Construction Limited/Messrs Rodnab Construction JV at the contract cost of N4.6 billion, with a completion date of 12 months while Messrs IAC Allied Technical and Construction Company Limited will construct the Ilobu-Erinle Road in Kwara/Osun States within 36 months at the cost of N18.042 billion.  While Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited will construct the Wudil Bridge along Maiduguri Road in Kano State within a period of 15 months at the cost of N2.6 billion, the rehabilitation of Wukari-Ibi Road in Taraba State will be done by China Worldwide Limited within a period of 18 months at the cost of N12.31billion. Messrs GR Building & Construction Nigeria Limited will construct the Baro-Port-Gulu Town Road in Niger State within a period of 24 months at N10.62 billion, while the rehabilitation of Ajingi-Jahun-Kafin Hausa Road in Jigawa will be done by Messrs H & M Nigeria Limited within a period of 24 months at the cost of N25.04 billion. While Messrs Roudo Nigeria Limited  is to rehabilitate the Aba-Owerri Road, NNPC Expressway in Abia State within 18 months at the cost of N6.1 billion, Messrs JM & A’S/Lubell Nigeria Limited will construct Yaba-Yangogi Road in the FCT within 24 months at the cost of N17.31 billion, while Messrs Rick Rock Construction Limited will complete the rehabilitation of the Kaleyeri-Damaturu Road in Yobe State within a 28 months at the cost of N17 billion. Messrs IIC Construction Company Limited/Wiz China Worldwide Engineering Limited who are to rehabilitate two outstanding sections of Oba-Nnewi-Arondizuogu-Okigwe Road in Imo/Anambra States within a period of 18 months, will receive N12.8 billion as payment on completion of the project. In terms of job creation, the rehabilitation of two outstanding sections of the Oba-Nnewi-Arondizuogu-Okigwe Road in Imo/Anambra States will generate between 150 and 200 jobs while the construction of Yaba-Yangogi Road in the FCT will generate no less than 250 jobs. While the rehabilitation of Kaleyeri-Damaturu Road will generate employment for 200 to 250 persons, the rehabilitation of Aba-Owerri Road, NNPC Depot Expressway in Abia State will provide employment for no less than 150 people and the rehabilitation of Ajingi-Jahun-Kafin Hausa Road is billed to generate between 250 and 300 jobs. The Memorandum also shows that the rehabilitation of Baro Port-Gulu Town Road in Niger State will generate about 250 jobs and the rehabilitation of Wukari-Ibi Road in Taraba State will provide jobs for no less than 500 people. The construction of Wudil Bridge to link Gaban Komi with Wudil Bypass on Maiduguri Road in Kano State will produce between 100 and 150 jobs. Also no less than 500 people will be employed for the construction of Ilobu-Erinle Road in Kwara/Osun States and between 100 and 120 workers in the rehabilitation of Irrua-Edenu-Ibore-Udomi-Uwassan Road in Edo State while the rehabilitation of the Outer Marina-Bonny Camp and Eko Bridge through Apongbon Bridge with Access Ramps is expected to generate between 200 and 250 jobs. The Construction of two bridges at the Kotangora-Rijau Road, according to the Memorandum, will generate employment for about 100 people and the construction of Additional lane from Airport Roundabout to Dawanau Roundabout  along Kano-Katsina Road will provide jobs for between 250 to 300 people while the reconstruction of Kotangora-Banji Road in Niger State will provide jobs for between 300 and 350 people. The Scope of Works to be covered in each of the Projects were clearly itemized, while the Minister also gave extensive details of the procurement processes which the participating Companies went through that culminated in the certification and issuance of a Due Process Certificate of “ No Objection” for each of the 14 Projects by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). ...

BPP Should Publish Its Rates The attention of the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing has been drawn to headlines from reports credited to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) about its having “...saved over N26 billion...” for the Federal Government in the year 2018 by revising down “inflated” contract sums by Government Contractors some of which emanated from the erstwhile Ministry of Power Works and Housing. Being a department of the same Government, ordinarily this should not warrant a reply; however the misleading nature of the Reporting in the media and the statements credited to BPP compel a response for the purposes of clarification and enlightenment of the public. Any person who takes time to read the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, which created the BPP will understand that no contract can be awarded until BPP certifies that it has NO OBJECTION. Therefore there was no INFLATED contract because BPP clearly stated that it reduced the costs, and according to BPP she “… saved over N26 Billion…” And this is the heart of the matter, because BPP’s “ savings” can only be a SUBJECTIVE assessment based on rates quoted by contractors, reviewed by the Ministry , and sent to BPP for certification. Until BPP publishes its rates which the then Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has demanded in writing, there can be no OBJECTIVE basis for determining whether any SAVINGS  were indeed made if only BPP knows its own Rates for procurement. Once rates are published and design is known, quantities can be ascertained and costs can be determined. This is the field of Quantity Surveyors and Construction Economists, and the Minister of Works and Housing has not made any secret about his call for a revision of the Public Procurement Act to resolve this and other gaps in the Law. Indeed, during the first term of this Administration, the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing had commissioned the compilation of a service wide Rate of major items of procurement from the largest to the smallest for BPP to consider, adopt or amend and publish. This is the type of Reform that the Minister advocates and welcomes to improve uniformity, Transparency, Accountability and value for money in public procurement. ...