The attention of the Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Engr. Abubakar D Aliyu, FNSE has been drawn to the publication on the social media on the failed portion of Gombe-Yola road.
The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMW&H) is aware of the condition of the road and committed to repairs of the damaged portion.
The portion had been adequately assessed, redesigned and procurement process completed as an additional work to the subsisting contract for the rehabilitation of the road and FEC has approved.
The bad portion which is about 11km sits on clay soil called black cotton soil which cannot support traffic. The removal and replacement of this black cotton soil was not part of the original contract, but approval has been given by FEC to augment the contract to include the removal of the black cotton soil and replacement with stones and laterite.
However, the contractor cannot embark on the removal of this clay until after the raining season. In the interim, the contractor is carrying out palliative works to keep the road motorable. The contractor is on site working even now.
The contract awarded involves massive excavation of the soil and replacement with stones to make the road last long. We therefore appeal for patience and understanding of the citizens and other road users. Full re construction of the bad section on the road will commence as soon as the rains subsides.
It needs no restating that President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to alleviating the pains of Nigerians wherever they reside.
Boade Akinola
D( Press and Public Relations )
8th October, 2020
