Umahi summons contractors over state of Enugu-Onitsha expressway

David Umahi, the minister of works, has passed a vote of no confidence on the consultants and contractors supervising the Enugu-Onitsha expressway. 

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, on Saturday, the minister said federal roads in the south-east geopolitical zone are in deplorable states.

He said he recently visited Imo, Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi states before coming to Anambra.

“I am a bit disappointed with the state of Enugu-Onitsha expressway; I have called both the contractors and consultants to a meeting this evening with the governor,” he said. 

“I have equally passed a vote of no confidence on the consultants. I have directed the firm to immediately rehabilitate the bad spots, which have caused vehicles to fall and other sundry hiccups.

“While MTN Nigeria says they have 100 per cent funding, the chairman of RCC construction firm will say the opposite, complaining of funding problem.

“We will all meet and sort out these problems because we cannot have one or two contractors doing 200 kilometres of road for seven years.”

The minister revealed that the states in the region have not been fairly treated on the MTN Nigeria tax credit decision.

“Yes, Enugu and Abia states benefitted, but that cannot be compared with other zones which got on the MTN Nigeria tax credit sharing formula,” he said.

“I know as a man of justice and equity, President Bola Tinubu will look into the matter because development thrives on fairness and equity.”

In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved Executive Order 7 — the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme — to allow the private sector to invest tax liabilities on infrastructure.