Bi-Courtney says that contrary to media reports, it still has the contract for the road. | By Grace Joe
The Federal Government has emphasised its determination to reconstruct the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
This is coming as Bi-Courtney Highway Services said it is still holding talks with government on the ways to effect early construction of the road despite the news making the rounds that the contract has been revoked.
Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, said that the Federal Government was determined to reconstruct the road in whatever way possible, noting, however, that government was still discussing with the concessionaire on the early completion of the road.
According to the minister, ?what I can say is that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, is determined to ensure full rehabilitation of that road. It is a task that we must deliver. We are engaging the concessionaire and the engagement is still on.
?I can assure you that immediately after the rain, the jobs will be done. We are committed to doing that. Once the final action plans are raised, we will let Nigerians know,? he said.
A newspaper had reported that the Federal Government had taken a decision to withdraw the concession signed with Bi-Courtney on May 26, 2009 on the reconstruction of the road, while the road would be expanded to 10 lanes instead of six lanes contained in the contract papers.
But Bi-Courtney Highway Services, in a reaction on Wednesday, said it was still holding talks with the Federal Government on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In a statement signed by its spokesman Dipo Kehinde, Bi-Courtney said the concession granted to it by the Federal Government had not been withdrawn, adding that ?contrary to the erroneous claim by the media, the federal authorities and Bi-Courtney have been doing a lot lately to clear all the hurdles on the path of this all important project. We have made a lot of progress.
According to him, ?notwithstanding the political intrigues, Bi-Courtney has been carrying out extensive palliative works on the road, while efforts are being made to resolve knotty issues surrounding the project.
?We have worked over a stretch of 600 metres at Ibafo, along the south-bound carriageway and a total of 570 metres length has been cleared and backfilled. This work has contributed appreciably to ease traffic congestion usually experienced along the stretch.
?So far, we have overlaid over 13,000 square metres at Sapade, Alapako, Isheri, Ibafo, RCCG area, North-bound from Danco Filling Station towards Conoil petrol station. More than 5,000 square metres of potholes patching have been executed, and we have done extensive work to reclaim the most critical portion at the Aramed end of the highway, near Ibadan.
?It is pertinent to note that the pace of work would have been faster if the Ogun State government had not stalled the installation of our asphalt plant at the RCC yard. The $6.5 million bitumen plant that has been seized for over a year now could have been producing more than 120 tonnes of asphalt daily, for the maintenance of the road.
?We assure Nigerians that the project would be successfully delivered.?
