…Barr. Orji Orji: Former VP misrepresenting facts/figures, misleading Nigerians
…Phrank Shaibu: Faults Tinubu for approving contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without a competitive bidding
By Hillary Asemota
In what appeared to have snowballed into verbal war which though began on Monday, between President Bola Tinubu and now through the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi and the former Vice President (VP) Alh. Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday has degenerated into accusation and counter accusations on both side of the divide through their Special Advisers: Barr. Orji Orji and Mr. Phrank Shuaibu, locking horns over the 700km Calabar-Lagos Coastal Highway.
Umahi, through his SA on Media, Barr. Orji Orji, while reacting to the former VP’s allegations which appeared in national dailies on Monday maintained that despite the skyrocketed cost of materials in the construction industry caused by the dynamics of commodity price inflation and supply chain disruptions, the administration of President Bola Tinubu, has remained unmatched in prudence, cost effectiveness, speedy and quality delivery of road projects.
The Minister however promised to make disclosure of the cost implication of the project today April 10 in Lagos.
The Minister in his reaction as signed by Orji, made the comment during his inspection visit to the on-going rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway section 4 (Aba – Port Harcourt) handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd (CCECC) on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The SA, said: “The Minister who also visited the construction of a 23-span flyover bridge project at Eke-Obinagu Junction (NNPC Depot), along Enugu Abakaliki Road, Enugu State handled by Reinforced Global Resources Ltd, the rehabilitation work at the collapsed bridge site at the New Artisan Bridge near NNPC mega fillings station Enugu Capital City, Enugu State handled by CCECC, the rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway Section 3, Enugu-Lokpanta handled by CGC.
“The rehabilitation and reconstruction of Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway section 2 (Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/ Road) in Abia State, handled by the Arab Contractors and the reconstruction of the dualized 15km section of the East-West road section III: (Eleme Junction- Onne Port in Rivers State being executed on reinforced concrete pavement like the coastal road) handled by RCC.”
Umahi, acknowledged that President Bola Tinubu is committed to a diversified and sustainable economic future of Nigeria, and this he is doing in the works sector through aggressive infrastructure development that would provide access to trade, tourism, industrialization and safety, especially along the local economic corridors.
On Atiku’s allegation that the 700km highway was awarded to Gilbert Chagoury without due process, the Minister described the analysis he made on the coastal road project figures and the economic importance of the all-important coastal highway project as a gross misrepresentation of facts, and figures and a ploy to mislead Nigerians by darkening counsel without knowledge.
The Minister, said: “He doesn’t understand figures. I am going to run figures for him to understand, and he will understand how prudent the administration of President Tinubu has been.
“He will understand how prudency is taking the centre stage in this administration. The President has once queried me on the cost of on-going projects nationwide. I had to analyse every basic rate of construction materials to arrive at our unit rates. I showed it to Mr. President.
“He still thinks I should bring down the cost of projects. At the same time, the contractors are crying that I am oppressing them so much by reviewing the costs of their projects downwards. They lamented that what they were getting before, they are no longer getting it now.
“They cried out. But when I run the figures, Nigerians will see what this present administration is doing. So, I’m not here to run the figures now. I will do that in a press conference on my visit to Lagos from 10th April 2024 to 12th April 2024.”
On the economic importance of the coastal highway, he stated, “I will tell you the economic benefits of the project and how the coastal road is tying the entire country together. It’s not tying just South-South and South-west.
“It is tying the North and South together. We are starting a project from Badagry to Sokoto, and we have a spur on this coastal route to that route and the African Trans Sahara Road that is passing from Enugu to Abakaliki to Ogoja to Cameroon which has a spur to the North.
“His Excellency, former Vice President Akitu Abubakar, may not know that the third section of the project is starting in Calabar by July 2024.”
The Minister however commended the pace and quality of work on the projects he visited but harped on the need for the contractors to heed the project delivery timeline.
On the progress of work at the East-West Road section III, he said, “The reinforcement is very good, the concrete is very good, the speed is not very good, so they have to increase their speed. If RCC doesn’t increase their pace, I will take out a portion of this road and give it to another contractor. We will not want contractors to stay on a job like this 15 km dualization for two years or more.”
In what appeared a sustained battle, Atiku in a follow allegation on Tuesday via statement signed by Mr. Shuaibu, urged Tinubu, to reveal cost of Lagos-Calabar highway project, querying the project design and the Right of Way in 7 months
The statement added: “The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, has dared President Bola Tinubu to disclose the full cost of the Lagos-Calabar highway project.”
Atiku, said the Tinubu administration could not continue to keep silent on how much of public funds would be spent on the project at a time Nigeria was still facing dire economic challenges.
“The former Vice President had through Paul Ibe, his Media Adviser (and not Media Assistant as erroneously stated by Bayo Onanuga) questioned the Tinubu administration’s decision to award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without a competitive bidding.” The statement added.
Atiku, also expressed curiosity on why the Tinubu administration released N1.06 trillion for the pilot phase or 6% of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
“The Tinubu administration cannot continue to respond to public inquiry with insults. They must come clean on this project because Nigerians deserve to know the truth. I, therefore, present six posers to the administration.
“How much is the total cost of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway? Why is the project being funded by the Nigerian government despite being a PPP?, Why is the project taking off from Chagoury’s Eko Atlantic?
“Why is N1.06 trillion was being spent on the pilot phase, which is just 47km?, Why did the N1.06 trillion not get the approval of the National Assembly?, Why wasn’t there a competitive bidding for the project?”
“Finally, how did the Tinubu administration get the design as well as the right of way in just 7 months, since it claims the past administration of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari never touched the project?”
Atiku, stated that in the spirit of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, Tinubu should respond to the questions line by line instead of taking the mundane and jejune route of “insulting their way out of every inquiry.
