By CHARLES IWUOHA

Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, on Thursday said no project awarded by the Federal Government should last more than four years.

This is as he asked some contractors handling some projects in Ebonyi to adopt the concrete technology to complete the remaining parts of the projects

He threatened to sanction contractors who fail to complete projects awarded to them within the stipulated time.

He stated this in Nguzu Community, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, while on inspection of Federal Government projects in the state.

He noted that his insistence on concrete is not cast on stone as asphalt could be used in some roads especially in the North.

Umahi however maintained that roads done on concrete will outlive the ones done on asphalt.

He took the team on a tour of one of the longest roads he built as governor, the Amasiri-Ekoli-Nguzu road which he said was built seven years ago on concrete and is still very solid.

He noted that roads built qualitatively with concrete have a life span of over fifty years.

The minister said that it can stand for these numbers of years before it will require maintenance more than bitumen imported into the country that is more sub-standard.

He added that it is cheaper to build with local content-sourced materials.

He said: “The contractors are doing very well. We are going to refer one of the contractors who was not on site to the legal department. We want to know why he is not on site. We will check what he has done against what he has collected.

"This job was awarded till 2012 and it is not palatable. No project should last more than four years. There is need to review the project.

"Use of concrete is not cast on stone. First is the stability of the road. Like in the north you can do asphalt but that is not to say that concrete cannot be used. If asphalt will last for ten years, concrete will last for 50 years".

Umahi said he was going to review all roads having augmentations and vowed to reduce the augmentations if he doesn't get satisfactory explanations.

"I have directed all the regional directors to work with my team of consultants to review all the projects that are having augmentations".

"It is not a probe but I want to be able to answer your questions why a project that was awarded for say N2bn is now N10bn. I should be able to answer that. I need to know why projects are being reviewed upwards.

"Even though BPP would have approved it, if I feel the augmentation is not necessary I will bring down the cost.

"I am not against the augmentation, but I want to be able to answer to Mr President, the national assembly, the masses and the media and defend whatever augmentation that is right"

"It is not a probe, I seek for knowledge. For example, the National Assembly recently met me, they are investigating why the Abuja to Kaduna Kano, Zaria road which was initially N155bn became N655bn. I partly know why but then I want to fully know why so that I can face them and defend it", he said.