Does Osun Government award road contracts at N2.5bn per kilometre?
Deborah Oladejo writes on the controversial road contract awards in Osun State…
Providing an answer to this question has become pertinent because of the back-and-forth accusations and counter-accusations raging between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in Osun State led by Governor Ademola Adeleke and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the cost of road contracts awards.
The Osun State APC accused the governor of awarding road contracts worth billions of naira to his family members. The party also alleged that the Ademola Adeleke-led administration awarded road construction agreements at N2.5bn per kilometre.
In this report, Deborah Oladejo throws more light on the controversy surrounding road contract awards in Osun State.
According to the Osun State Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal, It Is odd that the Ademola Adeleke administration has been awarding public contracts to businesses without prior experience building roads.
The APC also berated the PDP government over what it described as reckless mismanagement of public funds, questioning the rationale behind Governor Adeleke’s alleged award of road contracts at N2.5 billion per kilometre.
Furthermore, the APC’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi referred to the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, saying that the dualisation of the Old Garage-Okefia-Lameco Junction (2.24km) was awarded to Acumen Forte Construction Company Limited at a total sum of N5, 822,105,829; while the construction of 7 span bridge at Okefia Intersection, Osogbo, was awarded to Askorj International Nigeria Limited at a total cost of N10, 764,206,257,58.
Olabisi added that the information commissioner disclosed that the construction of 4 4-span bridge at Lameco Intersection, Osogbo, was awarded to Kimzee Global Investment at a total cost of N8, 521,632,257,28.
He further explained that Alimi said that the dualization of Akoda-Baptist High School, Ede(5.50km) was awarded to Great Enyork Tech Limited at a total cost of N12, 200,512,000 while, the dualization of the Baptist High School, Oke-Gada, Ede(3.86km) was awarded to Enginec International Engineering Limited at a total sum of N11, 090,838,764, just as the construction of 4 span bridge across Osun River and dual 2-span bridge across Erinle River was given to Raregeode Company Limited at a contract sum of N3, 937,072,827,00.
Cost depends on the peculiarity of the road
Reacting to the allegations in a telephone interview with Western Post, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi said that the statement credited to Olabisi was far from the truth.
According to Alimi, the allegation was an attempt by the opposition to blackmail the government.
He said, “It is not true that Governor Adeleke’s Government is awarding a kilometre road for N2.5 billion.
“Each road is based on their peculiarity and people can go out to check all these things and see the peculiarity.
“Where compensation is involved will be different, where there is a big culvert to be constructed, the price will be different and where we’ll have flyover with single or dual carriage, the price cannot be the same.
“There are some roads we are doing in the town, where compensation will be paid, so many electric poles that need to be shifted, drainages, culverts and so on, all these things will be added to the contract sum.
“Those of our roads that are not dual carriageway that does not involve flyover the average kilometre of road will be in the average of N200m,” Alimi contended.
The type of road determines the cost
Sharing his experience with our Correspondent on some of the factors which determine the cost of a road project, a private civil engineer, Mr Yemi Agboola said that one of the critical factors determining the cost of a road project is the type of road to be constructed.
According to him, the bill entails all the activities to be carried out on the road.
” The cost will depend on whether the road project will be a two-lane carriageway or dual two-lane.
“You cannot compare the cost of a dual two-lane carriageway with the two-lane carriage.
“If we want to do the costing, dual two lanes is costlier than two carriageway. It depends on the road, the type of road, the type of carriageway”, he said.
Western post findings
Checks by our correspondent show the road projects by the state government, the distance, the cost and other information.
1. Project Name: Construction of Egbedi-Erin Osun Road
Distance: 5.68KM
Cost: N 1,069,847,000.00
Contractor: Direct Labour
Duration: 8 Months.
2. Project Name: Dualisation of
Old Garage-Okefia-Lameco Junction road
Distance: 2.24KM
Cost: N5,822,105,829.00
Contractor: Acumen Forte Construction Company Limited
Duration: 12 Months
3. Project Name: Dualisation of Akoda – Baptist High School Ede road
Distance: 5.5KM
Cost: N12,200,512,000.00
Contractor: Great Enyork Tech Limited
Duration: 12 Months
4. Project Name: Dualisation of Baptist High School – Oke Gada, Ede Road
Distance: 3.86 KM
Cost: N11,090,838,764.00
Contractor: Engine International Engineering Limited
Duration: : 12 Months
5. Project Name: Construction of 4
Span bridge across Osun River and dual
2-span bridge across Erinle River
Cost: N3,937,072,827.00
Contractor: Raregeode Company Limited
Duration: 12 Months
6. Project Name: Construction of 7-span bridge at Okefia intersection, Osogbo:
Cost: N10,764,206,257.58
Contractor: Askorj International Nigeria Limited
Duration: 12 months
7. Project Name: Construction of 4-span bridge at Lameco intersection, Osogbo
Cost: N8,521,632,257.28
Contractor: Kimzee Global Investment:
Duration: 12 months
Given the details of the road contracts presented, Western Post can report that the cost of road construction projects awarded by the current administration in Osun State ranges between an average of N188 million to N2.8 billion per kilometre.
