The Federal Executive Council (FEC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday formally approved the cancellation of the 2020 contract awarded to Dantata & Sawoe for the reconstruction of the Akure- Ikere-Ado Ekiti road.
The road project, which had been flagged off in 2021, faced various logistics and funding challenges, just as road users have been experiencing hardship on the dilapidated road.
Newsflash Nigeria learnt that the residents and commuters of Ondo and Ekiti States especially the towns of Iju, Itoagbolu in Ondo State, and Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State have expressed angst over the deplorable state of the highway.
For over 6 years, on the Akure-Ikere-Ado Ekiti road, travelling is not an enjoyable experience, this federal road is in a deplorable state, constituting grave danger, causing a series of avoidable accidents, long hours on the road for short journeys and vulnerability to kidnaps as kidnappers now take advantage of the failed portions along this roads to pounce on travellers.
The condition of this road has been a source of worry to residents and travellers, who repeatedly witness tragic accidents and are forced to pay high fares because motorists claim they spend more money to maintain their vehicles due to the state of the roads.
The journey from Akure, Ondo State capital to Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital used to be between 25 to 35 minutes, but the deplorable state of the highway has elongated the distance to over 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Gradually, the hopes of motorists and the people of Ondo State in the rehabilitation of the Akure-Ado-Ekiti highway are waning.
For over six years, the highway, which is the shortest link between the two State capitals of Ondo and Ekiti States, has become a nightmare to travellers, with its attendant security risks.
Travelling from Akure to Ikere-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti, as well as other Ekiti communities, motorists now take a longer route through Igbara-Oke before accessing Ekiti State through Igbara-Odo and Ilawe-Ekiti.
More frustrating for the people is that the road had been awarded for construction as a dualised carriageway but the lack of commitment on the part of the contractor at executing the project has continued to be a source of concern.
However, on Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) officially cancelled the contract for non-performance and re-awarded it to two new contractors to speed up the completion of the dualisation project.
In a statement released by Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, said President Muhammadu Buhari approved the cancellation of the 2020 contract awarded to Dantata & Sawoe for the reconstruction of the Akure- Ikere-Ado Ekiti road and rewarded to two new contractors.
Awarded for a combined sum of N95.9 billion, the project will be simultaneously taken from Akure and Ado Ekiti ends separately by the two new contractors.
The part of the project which will start from the Akure end was awarded to Messers Sam Chase Nig Ltd/Messers Horizon Construction Co Ltd at the sum of N46,684,481,745.44 while the one from the Ado/Ikere end was awarded to Kopek Construction Co Ltd at the sum of N49,295,088,593.98.
The Federal Government, which had recently considered the road as one of those to be fixed through the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Tax Credit Scheme across the country, has given a marching order to the new contractors to mobilize to the site.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for taking such drastic steps to ensure that the project fully takes off before the end of his administration.
Prince Adegoroye, who had made the reconstruction of the road one of his priorities since he assumed office as Minister, expressed relief that the project would fully take off soon.
The Minister also commended the efforts of the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, and other members of the FEC for their support of the project.
Prince Adegoroye, while appreciating the good people of Ondo and Ekiti States for their patience on the condition of the road in the last few years, said the new contractors will soon mobilise to the site to begin work on the road.
