Ogbomoso – Oyo road: Thank you Mr. President but will new contractor execute standard job?
Ben GEORGE
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News filtered in Monday that a new construction company – Messrs JRB Construction Co. Ltd. has been awarded the remaining 7km stretch of the new 65km Ogbomoso – Oyo road which incidentally falls within Ogbomoso axis. Previously, the project was handled by Renolds Construction Company, RCC, a foreign company.
Information gathered by ogbomosoinsightonline.com revealed that RCC was however kicked out “because the company refused to play ball.” RCC was awarded the project by previous administrations but the contract got cancelled recently following allegation of non-performance.
However, industry watchers have expressed fears on the expertise of Messrs JRB Construction Co Ltd, an indigenous firm, in executing standard work.
It’s suspected RCC lost out because its management refused to “rub palms” in order not to compromise standard.
“RCC is a company of repute that adheres strictly to standard and specifications in order to attain durable roads,” a source in the know says.
“It’s like this, if a project is awarded N100b and those who awarded the contract demanded N50b (as kickback), and the company succumbs, it is left with N50b, out of which it will commit about N30b to execute the project so it can go with N20b also. That definitely will tell on the quality of the road, it will not be constructed to specifications and that is why most roads deteriorate so quickly. But a company like Reynolds hardly will submit to such.
“We don’t know what happened in this case whether the fault is on the part of RCC as alleged by the Minister of Works Dave Umahi recently or because it refused to play the game.”
Now, will the “condition” allegedly imposed on it (JRB) allow it to execute a quality work? That is the fear now!
Look at the case of the old Ogbomoso – Oyo road in the Ogbomoso metropolis. About two or three years ago when it got badly damaged, RCC repaired the section between Caretaker and Idi-Oro, today it’s still standing, but another company handled the rehabilitation of Caretaker to Bowen University Teaching Hospital section, in less than two years it caved in again, causing great concerns and deaths until it was recently re-fixed. That is double spending in a spate of three years, that came with humongous inconveniences and losses of precious lives.
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“What we are saying is that standard should not be put in jeopardy. If the 7km stretch is poorly executed, then the joy will be shortlived, and the articulated vehicles we so much want to get out of the city centre will have to return in nunbers if the alternative fails in time. And the alternative will fall like a pack of cards if a road whose specification is for it to bear heavy vehicles like those carrying 60-litre tankers have the standard of 20-litre trucks.”
While we commend the administration of President Bola Tinubu for attaching importance to the road and getting it re-awarded in a record time after the termination of the previous contract we charge the Ministry of Works not to take the foot off the pedal of supervising and monitoring the project execution. Relevant committees of the National Assembly should also be alive to its oversight function on the road. Shoddy construction must not be tolerated. It will be to our disadvantage and to that of the economic prosperity of Nigeria as a whole. Because government will not be quick to revisit such a project in the event of early damage.
