The federal government is working to make all federal high highways motorable before Christmas, according to Minister of Works Dave Umahi.
At a stakeholders’ town hall meeting hosted by the Ministry of Works in Akure, Ondo state, on Thursday, Umahi revealed that the administration inherited more than 2,000 unfinished road projects worth trillions of naira. He went on to say that agreements with ten noncompliant businesses have already been cancelled, and more could follow.
Emphasizing a commitment to transparency, Umahi stated, “Our books are very much open. We will conclude the design [for Ondo state] within November and inaugurate it.” He also mentioned plans to improve roads across the country, noting that federal road controllers have been instructed to report the conditions of roads in their areas to ensure that by Christmas, all federal highways will be in useable condition.
Umahi pledged government action on Ondo’s Aiyetoro community, which has been grappling with severe sea incursion. “We are coming back after your election to start the Aiyetoro project, which we will construct after this one,” he said, thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its dedication to infrastructure and development.
The minister further confirmed that a 63-kilometer section of the Calabar-Lagos coastal highway in Ondo will be inaugurated in December, with construction to begin after the design’s completion next month.
