The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi has debunked claims by Cement manufacturers that the price would hit N9,000 if the government starts constructing concrete roads.
According to the minister, the claims were all campaigned against him by the cabals in the construction industry.
Umahi, who made the remarks during a meeting with contractors handling federal roads, expressed dismay at how contractors cheat Nigerians in the materials they use to construct roads in the country.
He lamented that roads that are currently constructed in the country would not last for seven years after they are completed.
The minister said the contractors have been in the habit of increasing the cost of their projects to swindle the country through contract variation and the use of asphalt materials, which are subject to the international price of crude oil.
He added that he has stopped the signing of the funds to be released to contracts who are seeking price variation of their contracts, and bemoaned the pains Nigerians face while traveling on federal roads saying he had to feel their pains when he traveled to Edo state from Abuja.
“There is no project being constructed right now in Nigeria that is going to last for seven years. The question is, are we going to be maintaining or reconstructing our roads every 10 years? That is what we have been doing. I traveled from Abuja to Benin City through Lokoja, all the stretches of the road are on contract, ongoing; this is through the policy of the last administration but how much of the roads are motorable?
“I traveled through the roads myself and I shed tears for the kind of pain our people are going through. I spent 14 hours on the road having started my journey from 10am and got to Benin City at 2 pm the next day. I was very happy I experienced the pain.
“President Tinubu said I must travel through all the projects so that I will brief him on my experience and tell him the truth.”
He added that he is doing his work with the fear of God as he is representing the people and I receive instructions from the President.
