Nigeria: FG Sets to Rehabilitate Enugu- Onitsha Expressway

Relief is on the way for motorists and other
users going through agonies plying the terribly
dilapidated Enugu-Onitsha expressway South
East zone as the Federal Government has
commenced the process for the rehabilitation of
the highway.
Information available to Vanguard indicated that
the government was considering giving out the
reconstruction of the dual carriageway project
to a competent construction firm under the
Public Private Partnership, PPP, scheme.
A dependable source informed Vanguard that
the process to give the highway a new look has
started during a recent meeting between the
Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola and the Governor of
Anambra State, Dr. Wilie Obiano in Awka, the
state capital.
Vanguard learnt that Mr. Fashola while
expressing concerns over the deplorable state
of the road resolved that the Governor should
look for a very competent and reliable
construction firm that can handle the
rehabilitation works for possible approval.
It was however learnt that a Chinese
construction company, China CAMCE
Engineering Limited, has indicated interest to
rehabilitation the highway under Built, Operate
and Transfer, BOT, concession. This means the
China CAMCE will rehabilitate the road and toll
it for a number of years that will be agreed on
to recoup its investment before transferring it to
government
Relief is on the way for motorists and other
users going through agonies plying the terribly
dilapidated Enugu-Onitsha expressway South
East zone as the Federal Government has
commenced the process for the rehabilitation of
the highway.
Information available to Vanguard indicated that
the government was considering giving out the
reconstruction of the dual carriageway project
to a competent construction firm under the
Public Private Partnership, PPP, scheme.
A dependable source informed Vanguard that
the process to give the highway a new look has
started during a recent meeting between the
Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola and the Governor of
Anambra State, Dr. Wilie Obiano in Awka, the
state capital.
Vanguard learnt that Mr. Fashola while
expressing concerns over the deplorable state
of the road resolved that the Governor should
look for a very competent and reliable
construction firm that can handle the
rehabilitation works for possible approval.
It was however learnt that a Chinese
construction company, China CAMCE
Engineering Limited, has indicated interest to
rehabilitation the highway under Built, Operate
and Transfer, BOT, concession. This means the
China CAMCE will rehabilitate the road and toll
it for a number of years that will be agreed on
to recoup its investment before transferring it to
government
For years, road users have been having ugly
experience plying the expressway due to its
dilapidated nature. And not even promises from
politicians from administration to administration
to rehabilitate the road came to fruition.
But the challenges would soon be thing of the
past following frantic efforts by the present
administration to concession the highway to the
China CAMCE for rehabilitation.
Speaking with Vanguard on the development,
the Managing Director of Urban Tech
Engineering Company Limited, Chief Kingsley
Agha, was optimistic the China CAMCE has the
magic wand to turnaround the current sorry
story of the highway.
Chief Agha whose company is in partnership
with China CAMCE said the firm was ready for
action, adding, "They are waiting for approval
from the Federal Government; and the
Governors of Enugu and Anambra State."
"We were there and they saw the condition of
the road. It is a Federal road, they are asking if
they can be given the opportunity to develop
that road and put toll gate to collect their
investment back.
"And the affected states have undertaken to
approach the Federal Government t and ask for
formal approval for them to award the road to
them. They are not asking for money, they will
toll the gate and collect their investment back."
He added, "This is one of the biggest Chinese
companies that entered Nigerian market. They
are coming with their money and have come to
stay. They are not here to look for money but
only to get guarantee of safe business
environment."
On whether the Federal and state governments
would give them the concession to do job, he
noted that, "I don't see why not."
He said the Federal Government is encouraging
PPP and there is no money anywhere and the
President has said "if you want to partner with
Nigeria you must show consistency and passion
for this government."
"And this Chinese government has made
available 60 billion dollars for Africa nations and
we will stand to take a chunk of this, of which
is Nigeria and that is what this company is
doing, they don't want Nigeria to miss out.
Agha also revealed "They have been
approached by private developers come and
build a rail line from Calabar to Gombe State for
$2 billion under Build Operate Transfer, BOT,
basis and the arrangement is ongoing. It is a
PPP arrangement.
Source allAfrican.com