Umahi, works minister, picks holes on Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa road construction, stops work

…We’ve implemented minister’s directives – Contractor

Following the stop-work order given by David Umahi, Minister of Works, over some noticeable faults on Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa road construction, the contractor handling the reconstruction of the Osun section of the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road, CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd., says it has implemented all the directives issued by the Minister

Work was temporarily halted on the project over identified deficiencies. During an inspection of the Osun section of the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road on June 21, the Minister of Works ordered the contractor to temporarily stop work and study pavement mixture specifications at another project site.

He also directed the contractor to slow down work on the carriageway, form two teams to immediately work on the outer and inner shoulders, and mill all failed and cracked sections of the road.

The minister further ordered the contractor to apply a binder, saying he did not want to see any potholes on the project. He also directed the Controller to remove heavy trucks parked on the concrete road.

Speaking with journalists at the project site in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, Anjikwi Anjilibwala, the Project Manager of CBC, said the company had complied with the minister’s directives by reviewing its concrete pavement mixture, carrying out palliative works on the existing road and addressing other issues raised during the inspection.

According to him, the minister directed the company to understudy the concrete pavement mixture used by another construction company, particularly Hi-Tech, before continuing with the project.

“The minister said we should go to other companies, most especially Hi-Tech. So we went there to see the nature of the mixture. We have seen it and made all the adjustments we were supposed to make. So now, everything is good to go,” he said.

Anjilibwala said the project, which has a completion period of about three years, had attained about 65% completion after six to seven months of work.

He expressed confidence in the quality of the concrete pavement, saying the road would serve motorists for about 50 years.

“The guarantee is that this concrete road is more durable and even cheaper. So I think this work will guarantee our people almost up to 50 years,” he added.

Responding to questions on whether the contractor had complied with all the issues raised during the minister’s inspection, Anjilibwala said the company also carried out the required palliative works on the existing road.

He explained that the road was in a critical condition when the contractor commenced work on the project, resulting in frequent accidents and making movement difficult for motorists.

“When we came here, the existing road was critically bad. A lot of accidents were happening and vehicles could not move freely under good conditions. But after carrying out all the palliative work, we have laid asphalt and completed the palliative work successfully. So everyone can now see that all vehicles are moving freely and safely. Even the accidents have reduced,” he said.

Also speaking, Yuan Kaizhi, the Area Manager of CBC, said the company remained committed to ensuring the safety and convenience of road users throughout the execution of the project.

“Now, as you can see, the road is smoother, making travel safer and more convenient. As the contractor handling this project, we take our responsibilities seriously. Whenever maintenance is needed, we are prepared to carry it out immediately for the convenience and safety of the people,” Kaizhi said.