FG raises Enugu/Onitsha road contract to N15.7bn

The Federal Government on Tuesday approved augmentation of the contract cost of rehabilitation of Enugu to Onitsha Expressway from N10.3 billion to N15.7 billion.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja.

Noting that the contract was first awarded in 2012, the Minister explained that it was part of the series of roads captured as Umanna-Udi Agu-Ebenebe-Amansi-Awka, which spurred to Umumba Road (section 2) in Enugu State.

He disclosed that “because of lack of appropriate budgeting and funding, all of these projects could not be completed and there were also failures in implementation so we inherited it.

“There was also the need to provide for erosion control measures and drains and that has led to revision of the cost.

“It was that revision to enable us complete the road project that was presented, discussed and approved by the Council today.”

Fashola said the augmentation would also accommodate the need for erosion control measures and drains along the road.