Umahi directs suspension of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road reconstruction

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has directed the contractor handling the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road to stop work temporarily and study pavement mixture specifications at another project site.

The Minister gave the directive to the contractor, CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Limited, on Sunday.

This was during an inspection tour of the Osun State axis of road reconstruction.

Umahi inspected the road project in company of some federal lawmakers and other stakeholders.

“Go and check that mixture and then resume your work,” he directed.

He also directed the contractor to slow down work on the carriageway and form two teams to do the outer shoulder and the inner shoulder immediately.

“This is very important in two of the locations,” he said.

The minister noted that the section would not be used for some time, but warned that if it would not be completed in time, he would withdraw the Controller of Works in Osun State from the site.

He said: “I have removed a number of controllers in some states, starting with my own state.

“I am going to make a classroom in my ministry and I am going to bring professionals into the classroom.

“Those I am removing from sites are going to be learning everyday. 

“When you pass, we deploy you back to the site.”

Umahi said that he almost withdrew the Controller to Abuja for giving CBC a palliative certificate of N2.8 billion.

He said: “I am on this road and I have not seen where the palliative was done, but you already gave a palliative certificate of N2.8 billion.”

He gave the Controller 24 hours to withdraw the certificate and directed CBC to “genuinely” go and do the palliative work.

He said: “I don’t want to see any pothole, and the agreement is that you will mill all the failed sections and the cracked sections.”

Umahi also ordered that the contractor should put a binder.

He said: “My friendship is based on work. 

“I don’t have a permanent friend or a permanent enemy.

“We have to take responsibility for what the public has asked us to do.”

The Minister also directed the Controller to remove heavy trucks parked on concrete on the road.

He said: “I am giving you 24 hours to clear them and never let it happen again.

“The moment you have those things parked, it generates internal stress on the concrete.

“You will not see it immediately, but that is the failure of the concrete.”

Umahi threatened to chase out those working on solar lights on the section, saying that it was premature.