We’ll return to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway despite being owed –Contractors

Okechukwu Nnodim, Abuja

The major contractors handling the rehabilitation project of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have said they will return to the construction site even though the government has yet to pay the billions of naira debts being owed the firms.

This is coming as professionals from the Nigerian Society of Engineers advised that as the Federal Government embarks on infrastructural development, it must be wary of foreign lenders.

According to the NSE, donors tend to work against the participation of local practitioners in the construction of important infrastructure across the country.

The President, Federation of Construction Industry, the umbrella body for construction firms in Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Ogunbusola, told our correspondent that the decision by Julius Berger and RCC to return to the busy expressway was reached after series of meetings with the government.

Julius Berger and RCC are the two construction giants handling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had on Thursday announced that the construction firms handling the rehabilitation of the ever busy road would return to site next week Monday.

After speaking with the managing directors of both firms, Ogunbusola told our correspondent that the companies would go back to see what they could do pending when they get their payments, and emphasised that no construction company had been paid by the government.

He said, “I have spoken with the MDs of Julius Berger and RCC and they promised the minister that they would be there to work, not necessarily on Monday, but the fact remains that they have not been paid their money. They agreed to get back to site based on agreement pending the time they will get their money.

“You will see them on the road from either Tuesday or Wednesday doing some work, because it may not be that simple to start work from Monday. So if you see them there, is not that they have been paid, please I want you to get that aspect right. Because some people will think contractors have started getting money and may be making demands not knowing that they have not been paid yet. They are going back to site just to make sure they continue with whatever they can do.”

On the need to involve Nigerian engineers when undertaking important construction projects across the country, the President, NSE, Engr. Otis Anyaeji, said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari should not allow foreign donors deny Nigerian professionals of their rights.

He said, “We must watch how international lenders or donors tend to work against the participation of local professionals in the very important infrastructure projects being financed by them.”

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