Julius Berger, the giant construction company, has come under scathing attack for its inability to complete palliative work on the failed portions of Calabar-Itu Highway.
Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Development Commission after paying an unscheduled visit to the site on Saturday, expressed displeasure over the shoddy work done on the highway.
He said that two weeks ago the federal government directed the construction company to undertake palliative work on some failed portions to enable motorists to enjoy free flow of traffic during the Yuletide season.
According to him, Julius Berger had informed him that the palliative work on the failed portions was completed, noting that the company has disappointed the Federal Government for failing to fulfil its bargain of the agreement.
He expressed surprise that the contractor did not do a good job in view of the volume of traffic that was passing through the highway.
“We came to look at the road, the Calabar-Itu Highway. We had come here two weeks ago and they agreed that since this area is under their contract, we cannot bring in FERMA or NDDC or any other intervention agency to come and work on it, that they will come and rectify it.
“I see now, that they have brought in just laterite to pour on this place, without anything that can stabilise the ground, and so the road has gotten bad, and worse than it was.
“I will be going back to the Federal Ministry of Works, so that the Controller of Work will come with Julius Berger, who is the contractor, to at least agree with them that this is not good.
“They made the impression that there has been a remedial measure that people are passing on this road.
“Yes, people are passing, it is better than before, but right now what I am seeing here is not what it is supposed to be.
“The laterite they pour last week is all gone, and there is not even rain now, but it is washed off, so it is not satisfactory.
“I said this area is under their contract and being under their contract, not much can be done, by way of intervention, because they will be interfering in some other person’s contracts,” Enang said.
The senior special assistant to the president on Niger Delta said that the federal government was committed to providing good infrastructure to the benefit of its citizens.
He said that everything possible would be done on the highway to ensuring motorists plying the road do not suffer untold hardship unnecessarily.
