Senate directs contractor to expedite work on Bodo-Bonny Road
The Senate Joint Committee on Works has directed Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to expedite work on the Bodo-Bonny Road project in Rivers State and ensure its timely completion.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Barinada Mpigi, gave the directive during an inspection visit to the project site, as part of the committee’s nationwide oversight functions on federal road infrastructures.
The lawmakers said the project has the potential to boost economic activities and accessibility in Rivers State.
The inspection visit marked the beginning of the committee’s two-day working tour of federal road projects in the Niger Delta. During stopovers at strategic sections of the project, members of the committee, including the Deputy Chief Whip of the senate, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi and Senator Victor Umeh, frowned at the delay and urged the contractor to be accurate and deliver on schedule.
Officials of Julius Berger including the Project Manager, Tim Nippert, and Managing Director, Dr. Peer Lubach, defended the progress, saying the project is over 75 percent complete and will be delivered in December 2025.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection, Senator Mpigi emphasized the role of the legislature in monitoring public infrastructure.
He charged the company to maintain its reputation, saying, “We want you (Julius Berger) to use this Bodo-Bonny Road as a sample of how well you can handle road projects.”
The 39-kilometre Bodo-Bonny Road, flagged off in 2017 through a partnership between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), is expected to connect Bonny Island—an oil and gas hub currently accessible mainly by sea—to the mainland.
