Federal Government Halts Eleme-Onne East-West Road Construction Over Inferior Materials

Federal Government Halts Eleme-Onne East-West Road Construction Over Inferior Materials

In a surprising turn of events, the federal government has ordered the immediate suspension of the reconstruction work along the Eleme-Onne portion of the East-West Road in Rivers State…..CONTINUE READING

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, revealed in a statement to reporters on Sunday in Port Harcourt that the directive was issued due to the discovery that the contractor managing the project used inferior materials.

Expressing disappointment over the poor progress of the construction, despite the government having paid an advance of N33 billion, Minister Umahi highlighted that he had personally inspected the work the day before.

He emphasized that the suspension was necessary until anomalies related to the project were rectified, asserting that the contractor’s current rate of work would not allow the job to be completed within a reasonable timeframe.

“The project must benefit the people. The rainy season is coming in two months, and the people will go ahead suffering. You have our N33 billion. Do you know what the interest rate is every month on the bill?” Minister Umahi questioned.

He further revealed concerns about the quality of materials used, stating, “I saw that the sand they are using is not river sharp. What we paid for is river sharp sand.”

The Minister demonstrated his dissatisfaction by conducting a simple test on the sand, highlighting that it failed to meet the required standards. Despite directives to remove the substandard material, the contractor continued with its usage, prompting the government’s intervention.

Minister Umahi stressed the need for a comprehensive review of the project to address the identified irregularities. A meeting with the contractor has been scheduled to discuss the concerns, and a revised schedule will be provided to ensure the project’s successful completion.