The Federal Government has increased the budget for the ongoing construction of the Bodo-Bonny link road from the initial N199 billion to N280 billion.
This was announced by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during an inspection tour of road projects in Rivers State on Wednesday.
Umahi also revealed that the government has set December 15, 2024, as the target date for the completion and commissioning of the Bodo-Bonny link road.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Works is prioritizing projects based on the availability of funds to ensure their completion.
Harmonizing Contracts
Umahi noted that the current administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, inherited over 2,600 uncompleted road projects.
He stated that given the limited funds, the projects are being executed based on fairness and equity across different geo-political zones and states.
The minister assured that the ministry would ensure timely payment for project milestones to facilitate the work by Julius Berger, the construction company handling the project.
He also acknowledged the negotiations and adjustments made with Julius Berger to reach an agreement on the project’s cost.
“We arrived at the zenith zero of the famous Bodo-Bonny road being handled by Julius Berger. We have had some running battles with Berger.
“For Berger, they needed to complete the road, and for the Ministry of Works, the road must not be completed at all costs,” Umahi explained.
He mentioned that while there were disagreements over costs in other projects, such as the Abuja/Kano road, the second Niger Bridge, Lagos/Ibadan, and Odukpani in Cross River, both parties reached compromises.
“We have caved into the demands of Berger and I’m also happy that Berger caved in, in the other locations where we have differences like the Abuja/Kano road, second Niger Bridge, Lagos/Ibadan, Odukpani in Cross River, that’s give and take,” Umahi added.
