In furtherance of its commitment to improve federal roads network in all parts of the country, the Federal Government has opened a new chapter in the delivery of services on Nigerian roads by launching “Project Safe Passage”.
The essence of this project is to ensure that by December this year, “Nigerians will be able to experience good road corridors devoid of potholes, which will in turn promote safe motoring and passage on federal roads across the country.”
The Minister of Works, Arc. Mike Onolememen, who presided over a consultative meeting with road sector contractors and the official launch of the project, said that the strategy for the realisation of the safe passage project is to ensure that contractors engaged by the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency take immediate steps to recover all sections of their road alignments that have failed or are pot-hole ridden as a matter of urgency, before proceeding with the normal programme of works for the respective contract.
Onolememen further stated that the project will be considered as a contingency for failed sections of road alignments across the country and that federal roads without subsisting contracts will be taken over by FERMA through its direct labour scheme for the implementation of the project.
Onolememen mentioned that in order to empower contractors to be able to deliver on this project, the Federal Ministry of Works has paid all outstanding certificates on all its projects to the respective contractors within the limit of the 2012 Budget.
The Minister reasoned that he knew that many Nigerians are still unhappy with the state of the roads, yet rehabilitation and reconstruction works have been stepped up on majority of ongoing projects and that about 11 road projects have been completed.
Also, the minister urged the contractors handling ongoing contracts on federal roads to submit their programme of work for the safe passage programme within the next seven days, while contractors will be held accountable to the approved programme of works, warning that erring contractors will be severely sanctioned.
Onolememen expressed the hope that as the contractors commence work on the important project, which he said has the blessing of President Goodluck Jonathan, they should realise that the Federal Government accords great importance to the project.
He said the project is expected to bestow significant safety benefits to expectant Nigerians who ply the roads daily.