By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its readiness to end its contract with Julius Berger PLC to rehabilitate a section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Highway.
It said the company failed to accept the latest reviewed Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved total sum of over N740 billion for the project in seven (7) days.
Minister of Works David Umahi made this known when Berger’s new Managing Director (MD) Dr Pier Lubasch, in the company of his outgoing counterpart, Dr Lars Richter, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister at the ministry’s headquarters yesterday in Abuja.
A statement signed by Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, said the minister for the umpteenth time called on Julius Berger to show corporate patriotism by accepting the federal government approved reviewed total contract sum of N740, 797,204,713.25 for the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82 km section of the road, with contract No.: 6350.
Lamenting Berger’s delay in mobilising to site despite the approved funds by FEC and the plight of road users along that corridor, the Minister said, “So if Berger is not doing it, then let’s have other people to do the job and within the time that we can control price.
“We’ve had more than 20 letters from Berger on this. It is a ping pong game from Julius Berger. The prices rose from N710 billion to N740 billion because of these delays. And if we continue the delays, it is the problem of the Ministry of Works.”
