The Federal Government has directed the immediate commencement of emergency reconstruction on critical sections of the Suleja-Minna road, following prolonged neglect and hazardous conditions that have claimed lives.

Minister of Works Dave Umahi, stated this during an inspection visit, accompanied by the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi; and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Segun Showunmi, among others.

According to the Minister, efforts to get the original contractors, Salini Nigeria Ltd to repair the severely damaged road over the past 18 months were unsuccessful.

?We have been on this for a year and a half, urging the contractors to return to the site. Section 1 of the road, starting from Abuja-Kano highway, is in a terrible state with tankers and trucks frequently breaking down, leading to fatal accidents,? he said.

After inspecting the contractor?s capacity and observing the absence of necessary equipment, the Ministry decided to terminate the contract, he said, declaring that the two worst-hit sections have now been declared emergency projects and will be handled under emergency procurement procedures.

?We?re documenting the current condition of the road for public accountability. Once work is completed, people tend to forget how bad it was. The Information Department must keep a visual record to justify our emergency action,? he said.

The Minister confirmed Niger Governor had raised concerns directly with President Bola Tinubu, who subsequently directed the Ministry to intervene.

?The State government has already constructed part of the dual carriageway through its urban renewal programme, handled by CCCC. In line with this, the Federal Government has approved CCCC to continue work under emergency terms.

?The road is 103km in total. The Governor has completed about 30km. What remains is a 71km dual carriageway, making 142km of work in total.

?This corridor is a known death trap. A journey to Minna that should take under two hours now takes seven,? he said.

He said CCCC has been given 10 days to mobilize and begin work on the most critical 7km stretch, adding, ?Our engineers and theirs will jointly handle site levelling. Final design work is ongoing and will be aligned once completed.

?This is emergency procurement, work begins first, then pricing is verified by the Bureau of Public Procurement?.

He said sections of the road will be awarded separately, noting that while Section 2 (starting from the tear-off point) is to be fully assigned to CCCC, the Ministry will temporarily retain Section 1B for maintenance by the same contractor to ensure one fully motorable carriageway.

He also stressed that security measures and rest areas with solar lighting and CCTV will be integrated.

Responding to the road inspection invitation and the government?s swift action on his concerns, PDP chieftain and former senatorial candidate, Showunmi, acknowledged the urgency of the intervention and commended the Ministry of Works for its prompt and responsive approach.

?I had raised concerns about four key roads with the Minister, this Minna road, the Abuja?Kaduna road, Lagos?Calabar, and Sokoto?Badagry routes. I insisted this one needed immediate attention. To his credit, the Minister invited me to see the progress for myself,? Showunmi said.

He condemned the substandard delivery of road projects by some foreign contractors, saying, ?I?ve seen better roads abroad by the same companies, and I question why the same standards are not applied here.?

Responding to questions about whether he was endorsing the current administration considering his positive impression of the road interventions, he said, ?This commendation is specific to the Minister?s work.

?It is not a blanket endorsement of the administration. I remain critical where necessary and supportive where due.?

Nonetheless, he added that Nigerians must move beyond partisanship when it comes to national development, noting ?We all admire countries like China, the U.S., and the UAE for their progress, not because their people are better than ours, but because they collaborate across political lines.

?That?s what we must emulate.?

Reinforcing his belief that good governance should transcend political affiliations and rely on collective effort, Showunmi reiterated his proposal for a legislative bill to restrict political campaigning to one year before general elections.

?Governance should not be disrupted by unending political bickering. Let us give our leaders time to work and hold them accountable based on results,? he said.

Calling for responsible political engagement, Showunmi urged Nigerians to shift away from constant national criticism, urging, ?Democracy doesn?t mean endlessly shaming your country. We need to build it together.

?We?ve seen this project, thank you. But like Oliver Twist, we ask for more?.

Sen. Nwaebonyi commended the President and the Minister for their leadership and commitment to infrastructure delivery while emphasizing the Minister?s hands-on approach to project supervision, which ensures value for money and quality execution.

?You are the only Minister of Works known for personally inspecting projects regularly,? he said.

He lauded the administration?s work on the Lagos-Calabar road, which links multiple States and is central to Nigeria?s economic renaissance.

?Infrastructure is key to prosperity. Parliament will continue to support initiatives that prioritize the welfare of Nigerians,? he said.

The Senator pledged ongoing legislative backing for the administration?s road projects and praised the President?s vision to connect economic corridors and reduce poverty through infrastructure.

Goronyo applauded Showunmi?s ?investigative opposition,? commending him for inspecting projects firsthand rather than critiquing from a distance.

?This is a new political culture. You took time to come here yourself, and now you?ve seen what the government is doing,? he said while urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and resist deception.

?Infrastructure is the driver of development. The economic recovery you seek is already underway, just open your eyes,? he added. (The Nation)

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