Originally awarded in 2015 at a cost of N120 billion, the Bonny-Bodo road contract was revised to N199 billion with a completion target of December 2023, but the deadline has since passed.
Abuja, Nigeria – The Federal Government has mandated Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to expedite the completion of the N820 billion Bonny-Bodo road project, including the construction of bridges across the Opobo Channel and Route 430 in Rivers State.
This directive also extends to the rehabilitation of the 82-kilometre Section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway.
Originally awarded in 2015 at a cost of N120 billion, the Bonny-Bodo road contract was revised to N199 billion with a completion target of December 2023, but the deadline has since passed.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated this during a meeting in Abuja with representatives of Julius Berger, including the company’s Executive Director for Projects, Benjamin Bott, and Head of Contract Management, Omonigho Brown.
The minister emphasized the need for contractors handling Federal Government projects to demonstrate corporate nationalism in their pricing negotiations, given the challenging economic climate.
According to a statement released by Umahi’s Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, the minister noted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had, during its September 23 meeting, approved the re-scoping and downward review of the contract sums for these projects.
“We have Section II, which is 82 kilometres by two lanes, currently under Julius Berger’s purview. As approved by FEC on September 23, the total contract sum for this section is N740 billion. Of this amount, N391 billion has already been paid, leaving a balance of around N340 billion for the remaining 164 kilometres,” Umahi said.
He urged the contractor to mobilize resources to ensure the swift completion of the four sections of the Abuja-Zaria-Kaduna-Kano project within the stipulated 14-month period, stressing that continuous negotiations on these projects were no longer acceptable.
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