The attention of the Federal Ministry of Works has been drawn to an allegation by one Dr. Olapade Agoro published in the online site of Sahara Reporters of 8th July, 2013, making some false claims and unfounded statements on the recently commissioned Ibadan-Oyo Dual carriageway.
The attention of the Federal Ministry of Works has been drawn to an allegation by one Dr. Olapade Agoro published in the online site of Sahara Reporters of 8th July, 2013, making some false claims and unfounded statements on the recently commissioned Ibadan-Oyo Dual carriageway.
Specifically, his allegation that the Honourable Minister of Works, Arc Mike Onolememen fooled Nigerians in order to scam the treasury of over N20 Billion when he commissioned the Ibadan-Oyo dual carriageway (section I) of the Ibadan-Ilorin Dual carriageway was reckless and most unfortunate.
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In as much as the Honourable Minister does not intend to join issues with the author of the publication, it is the duty of the Federal Ministry of Works to clarify the issues raised therein in order to put the records straight.
When this administration came into power in 2011, the dualization of Ibadan-Oyo road section of the Ibadan-Ilorin dual carriageway was uncompleted and the site abandoned by the contractor. At this time, sections of the road that were substantially completed were opened to traffic.
However, the Ministry of Works in drawing its projects’ prioritization list in 2012 listed this project for completion. It thereafter engaged the contractor and harped on the need to bring the project to full completion. Unpaid certificates were paid to the contractor as an incentive to complete outstanding works including about 3 km at the beginning of the road and the construction of filter drains at some chainages in the alignment.
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The contractor at this time refused to go back to site to complete the outstanding works until all technical challenges were addressed. This led to the approval given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) following the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Certificate of “No Objection” issued to augment the contract sum by N444,762,900.56 (Four Hundred and Forty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, Nine Hundred Naira, Fifty-Six Kobo) only, bringing the revised contract sum from N19,698,315,702.16 to N20,143,078,602.67 on 7th November, 2012. This approval encouraged the contractor to execute the outstanding works which were completed on 27th March 2013, paving the way for the commissioning of 4th July 2013.
Since the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan GCFR came into office, only a total sum of N1,855,003,432.23 (One Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty-Two Naira, Twenty-Three Kobo) was paid to bring this project to completion!
The payment was made in the following tranches:
2011:
N500,000,000.00 (1st Payment)
N201,010,777.65 (2nd Payment)
2012:
N248,206,755.16 (1st Payment)
N444,793,244.84 (2nd Payment)
2013:
N460,992,654.58
At the commissioning of Ibadan-Oyo road (Section I) on 4th July, 2013, the Honourable Minister mentioned that with the completion of Ibadan-Oyo dual carriageway (section I) and Ogbomosho-Ilorin dual carriageway (section III), the only section outstanding for dualization is Oyo-Ogbomosho dual carriageway (section II), that is the middle section of Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomosho-Ilorin Dual carriageway.
The Minister went further to say that the dualization of the outstanding Oyo-Ogbomosho Section had already been awarded to RCC Nigeria Limited in the sum of 47.5 Billion Naira on 10th June, 2010, and the project has reached 36% completion.
In the publication, Dr. Agoro claimed to be an “expert” with proven record of global achievements. While we are not disputing his claim of being an “expert” in whatever field, it does not take an expert to know that the cost of the construction of the dualisation of Ibadan-Oyo road from the foregoing is N20,143,078,602.67. The “expert” seems to mix up the contract sums of Section I with that of Section II.
His claim of expertise is certainly not in Highway Engineering as can be deduced from his description of Crushed Stone Base as Hard Core. Hard Core applies to Building Construction. The expert needs to be educated on the Pavement Structure of the road under consideration. It comprises of 200mm thick Laterite Sub-Base, 200 mm thick Crushed Stone Base, 60mm thick Asphaltic Concrete Binder Course and 40mm thick Asphaltic Concrete Wearing Course.
It is instructive to note that the House of Representatives Committee of Works during its recent oversight function in the South West Zone inspected this project and confirmed the thickness of the various Pavement Layers.
It would have been prudent for the ‘expert’ to cross checked his information on this road before misleading himself and the general public.
It is hoped that this Statement will clarify the misconception put forward by the author, which amounts to “a figment of his imagination”, calculated to malign the hard working Minister of Works who is known to have a zero tolerance for fraud!
Thank you!
Signed:
Engr. Bala Danshehu, FNSE.
Director of Highways (Planning & Development)
Federal Ministry of Works.
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