We Will Deliver Roads That Will Stand Test Of Time – Works Minister

Minister of State for Works and Housing in Nigeria, Engr Abubakar Aliyu has said that the Federal government is committed to delivering qualitative roads that will stand the test of time for Nigerians.

Engr Aliyu spoke during the media inspection visit of the rehabilitated Cham – Numan section of Gombe-Numan-Yola road over the weekend.

Responding to questions on the expected delivery time of the road, he said “We don’t deliver roads because of politics, we deliver roads that will stand the test of time for Nigerians to enjoy the benefit for a long lasting time’

The Minister explained that the section of the Cham-Numan road was delayed because the 11 kilometers portion of the Savannah swamp area has bad, soft soil, which he said has to be evacuated, replaced and refilled.

“We are seriously working on it and the procurement process has gone far and about to be completed. If we want to do politics with it, we would have rushed to complete it and it will later collapse, but we want to deliver a qualitative job for Nigerians” he said.

Aliyu also reiterated the commitment of President Muhamnadu Buhari to deliver the promises made to Nigerians on roads, adding that the administration is also showing strong determination to fulfill the promises in other sectors, such as housing, rails and others.

Buttressing the commitment of President Buhari on delivering roads, he revealed that the budget of his Ministry has risen to N200 billion from the N19 billion they met in 2015, pointing to the fact that the current administration has shown more commitment to providing road infrastructure.

Touching on the other mandate of his ministry in providing affordable housing for Nigerians, the Ministry urged people to come in groups and form cooperative societies so that they partner with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria in order to get the houses they needed for themselves.

Earlier in his briefing to the minister on the rehabilitation of the Cham-Numan section of Gombe-Numan-Yola, the Federal Controller of Works, Engr Salihu Abubakar said that one of the challenges delaying the work is the security problem, caused by frequent farmers-herdsmen clashes in the area.

He explained that the contractor had carried out emergency repair works of critical failed sections of the road under the ember month of 2019 program of the Ministry.

Engr Abubakar further stated that the contractor is presently on site working and the weather is favourable, adding that over 4,250 direct and indirect jobs have been created through the project.