The engagement of local contractors by the Federal Ministry of Works under the leadership of Senator Dave Nweze Umahi as Minister of Works is a recurrence of the good old days were Oni and Sons among many others was engaged in roads construction across the country, and later the Dantata and Sawoe among many others.
The healthy trend continues for decades between local contractors and foreign ones with high government patronage that made Nigeria roads motorable.
The turn of events started when some local contractors and virtually all indulged in various sharp practices, diversion, collision with staffers of the ministry, diversion of mobilisation, abandoned jobs after collection of either mobilisation or payments, among many other unethical practices by local contractors.
The ugly development discouraged total government patronage of local contractors who were into roads construction businesses before now, and were known to have constructed many Nigeria roads across the six geopolitical zones.
But , the coming of Senator Dave Nweze Umahi was a new dawn in the Works Ministry, coinciding with the commencement and enlistment,
of local contractors of JRB Roads Construction, a local contractor that had outdone both the foreign ones and it’s counterparts.
JRB Construction company has outperformed many local and foreign contractors, with the recent one, on the revocation of part of Ilorin Ogbomosho-axis/section of the road, that was re-awarded to JRB and completed within a year , meeting all job specifications, special commendation from the federal government through the Minister of Works and Federal Lawmakers, through the Chairman, House Committee on Works, who was earlier on the road for on the spot assessment.
The ongoing construction of Abaji , Abuja roads, completion of Dikko , Zuba roads through high grade remedial works by JRB had made entrance into the FCT motorable and passable since the beginning of the year.
So also the ongoing rehabilitation of the critical areas of Abuja- Lokoja roads that defied repairs since 1999, over two decades, is been reconstructed by the Indigenous Contractor, JRB Construction company and will be completed soon.
With encouragement both from the local contractors like JRB and government,particularly under Senator Dave Umahi superintending the Works Ministry, no doubt , the current dilapidated and congested Abuja roads ,across the country, and particularly the entrance to the nation’s city, will soon become a thing of the past .
For JRB, the construction company and it’s managers have proved a mettle and demonstrated capacity to compete favourably and also carry out roads construction of any form and shape across the country.
Having convinced both the Executive and Legislative arm through distinct performance, no doubt , government and the ministry will continue to encourage “Local Road Construction company” known as local contractors to fruition in Nigeria.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
