The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has expressed sadness and disappointment over the slow pace and poor quality of the Suleja-Minna federal road construction, which has been ongoing for 14 years.
Despite reports of 84% completion, Umahi stated that the work executed does not match the reported progress.
Umahi’s comments came during a Town Hall Meeting and stakeholders’ engagement on the construction of the 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagri superhighway in Minna, Niger State.
The minister emphasized the need for improved quality and speed in the project’s execution and added that all contractors handling federal government projects in Niger State will be invited for assessment.
The Minister had passed through the Suleja-Minna Road to attend the meeting and express disappointment over the snail pace of work.
In addition to addressing the Suleja-Minna Road project, Umahi announced that the Federal Government is redesigning the Kano-Abuja Expressway. The new design will feature the use of concrete, which is expected to increase the road’s lifespan to between 50 to 100 years.
Governor Umaru Bago praised the value addition captured along the corridor of the road, particularly the irrigation potentials that the proposed 68 dams will avail farmers in the State. He also declared support for the choice of concrete in road construction.
Other stakeholders at the event raised concerns over funding and completion time of the projects.
