Ojudu tackles FG over Akure-Ado Ekiti road downgrade

Former presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu

Former National Assembly member, Babafemi Ojudu, has queried the Federal Government on how the Akure-Ado Ekiti dual carriageway project suddenly turned to a refurbished single carriageway project.

The former presidential political adviser, who said that the road project was awarded as a dual carriageway, expressed disappointment that only a rehabilitated carriageway was ultimately delivered.

Ojudu, who spoke in a post on his Facebook handle on Tuesday, titled, ‘What happened to the Akure–Ado-Ekiti dual carriageway’, said, ‘Nigeria has happened to the Akure–Ado-Ekiti Road’.

He said, “The original contract, reportedly worth about N30bn, was awarded to Dantata & Sawoe in November 2019 and later cancelled.

“On 29 March 2023, the Federal Executive Council approved its re-award as a 50-kilometre dualisation project for approximately N95.98bn.

“The Akure–Ondo State boundary section was awarded jointly to Samchase Nigeria Limited and Horizon Construction Company Limited for N46,684,481,745.44, with a completion period of 24 months.

“The section from the Ekiti boundary towards Ado-Ekiti was awarded to Kopek Construction Limited for N49,295,088,593.98, with a completion period of 30 months. The project was formally flagged off in May 2023,” he stated.

Ojudu told the Minister of Works, David Umahi, “A refurbished single carriageway cannot quietly be substituted for a dual carriageway without an explanation.

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“The people deserve to know what was awarded, what has been paid for, what has been delivered and what became of the rest of the project.

“This road is too important to the economic and social life of Ondo and Ekiti states to disappear into the familiar fog of abandoned contracts, altered specifications and official silence,” he said.

While stressing the importance of the road to the people of the two states, the former presidential political adviser said, “We received with great joy the news that the contract for the reconstruction and dualisation of this critical road had been awarded.

“Our excitement grew when the contractors mobilised to site, cleared the path for a second carriageway and began constructing bridges and other structures designed to accommodate a dual carriageway.

“But what has ultimately been delivered? One rehabilitated carriageway. The heavy equipment has disappeared, the construction sites have gone quiet, and the proposed second carriageway appears to have been abandoned.

“We are now left with bridges and earthworks prepared for a dual carriageway, but only a single carriageway to show for the enormous contract awarded.

“Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, the people of Ondo and Ekiti states deserve clear answers,” Ojudu stated.

Efforts to obtain the Works Ministry’s response were unsuccessful, as the Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, Francis Nwaze, did not respond to enquiries from our correspondent.