The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ordered the suspension of the reconstruction work on the Eleme section of the East-West Road in Rivers State. In an interview with reporters in Port Harcourt,
Umahi issued the suspension order following the inspection of the road the previous day, explaining that it was because of the use of substandard materials by the contractors handling the project.
He remarked, “I saw that the sand that was being used on top of the lumps wasn’t river sharp sand. The idea was that there would be some voids between the lumps when the river sharp sand was placed on top of them, and the sand would fill those voids to create a compact monolithic pavement structure.
“I picked up the sand as soon as I noticed it and placed it on my hands; nothing remained after I added water. I thus gave the business instructions to make sure the sand is removed. I was astounded that they kept the sand in place rather than having it removed.
He said “The contractor was paid N33bn, and do you know how much interest rate that is accrual on the bill every month. He does not have sharp sand, what the contractor used was mud sand.”
The minister, therefore, warned that the federal government would not tolerate any sharp practices in all its road projects.
