The Nigeria Federal Government has assured that the contractors handling the dualization of the Calabar-Itu Highway will soon return to site to resume work on the road which served as a link between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
Adebisi Osim, the acting controller of Works in Cross River, said this on Friday in Calabar when she received in her office a political pressure group, the Cross River South Consultative Forum.
Mrs. Osim said the resumption of work on the highway followed the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Works.
She said that the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, had addressed the issues that had stalled the progress of construction work on the highway.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the contractors, Julius Berger and Sematech, abandoned the site last year.
Mrs. Osim explained that in the interim, emergency palliative measures were underway to reduce the sufferings of road users on the route.
“I am glad to announce that Julius Berger and Sematech are returning to the site to resume works at both ends of the Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road.
“The issues that stalled further execution of the contract have been sorted out.
“Once the rains subside, both contractors will return to the site to commence work simultaneously.
“This is due to the peculiar priority attention accorded to the project by our boss, the Minister of Works, bolstered by the interest of Governor Bassey Otu, who has waded in to handle the issue of compensation which was a major factor.”
It would be recalled that the federal government had approved the variation cost of the Calabar-Itu Road from N79.65 billion to N118.4 billion owing to the prevailing cost of materials.
Mr. Umahi, who made the announcement, said that the decision followed the Federal Executive Council approval of N42.4 billion as variation for the project.
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