FG urged to fund Mayo Belwa – Toungo road project in Adamawa

The Federal Government has been urged to adequately fund and ensure timely completion of the 112kms Mayo Belwa – Toungo highway in Adamawa.
The contractor handoing the project, Triacta Nigeria Ltd, and the Federal Controller of Works in the state, Salihu Abubakar, made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Yola on Friday.
They identified lack of adequate funding as the major constraint obstructing the speedy reconstruction of the Mayo Belwa-Jada-Ganye-Toungo federal highway connecting neighbouring the Republic of Cameroon.
NAN recalls that the road rehabilitation job was flagged off on August 28, 2018.
The contract was awarded to Triacta Nigeria Limited at a cost of  N22.69 billion.
The construction was to cover 112 kilometres with a completion deadline of 36 months.
But a check conducted by NAN indicated that since the flag-off of the project 16 months ago, the work had covered only 28 kilometres.
Elie Farhat, the Managing Director of the construction firm, said the slow pace of work spanning across Mayo Belwa, Jada, Ganye and Toungo Local Government Areas was due to poor funding of the project.
“As I am talking to you now the slow speed of the work is due to poor funding of the project. The company received only N1.9 billion as kick off payment.
“The Ministry is owing us over N4.2 billiona on this particular project.
“And since the flag off of the construction in August 2018, we are able to cover only 28 kilometres out of 112 Kilometers,” Farhat said.
According to him, report reaching the company suggests that the project was initially awarded under Sukuk bond.
“But to our surprise the project was later removed under the Sukuk bond,” he claimed.
The managing director also expressed worry that government had allocated only N500 million to finance the project in the 2020 budget.
He pointed out that it would now take the company about 10 years to complete the work instead of three years.
“If there is proper funding in two and a half years, I assure you the job will be completed,” Farhat said.
Reacting to the development, the Federal Controller of Works in Adamawa, Salihu Abubakar, called for proper funding to ensure timely completion of the road project.
Abubakar said lack of payment by the federal government to the construction firm was responsible for the slow pace of the reconstruction work.
“Lack of payment from Federal Government is the major factor behind the slow speed of the construction,” Abubakar confirmed.