Drop in speed of road, rail contracts by CCECC worries FG, States, Nigerians
Though it has managed to deliver the new terminal of Port Harcourt International Airport which was recently inaugurated, strong indications are on ground that several transportation related contracts being handled by Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC) both for some states and federal government are now under snail speed.
Motorists and residents along the ever-busy Lagos/Badagry Expressway had been under serious bondage in the last few months as pace of work on the ongoing 10-lane expansion with metro-rail has been a serious suspect.
In fact, two weeks ago, regular users of the road announced a two-day total road shutdown to protest their grievances over what they described as hellish experiences along the road in recent times.
Besides, checks by Business Hilights correspondents along the stretch showed unprecedented number of potholes even on already tarred portions of the road especially between Alakija Junction and Okokomaiko.
Worst part of the bad road is around the Lagos International Trade fair complex which has become a nightmare of some sort.
Apart from the horrible experiences along the Badagry international highway, recently, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, voiced utter dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work being executed by the same Chinese firm, CCECC on the Lagos end of the standard gauge Lagos-Ibadan rail line.
Accordingly, the visibly angered Minister accused the contractor of failing to mobilise its workers to site on the excuse that some sub-contractors could not deliver the portion of work given to them.
Business recalled that Amaechi had spoke on Tuesday during an inspection of the $1.5bn standard gauge rail project at the Ologun-Eru area of Oyo State, thundering that “If I say I am impressed with the CCECC on the Lagos axis of this project, then I am lying. We are just not there in the Lagos area at all.
“We have resolved all the crises in Lagos; and I must commend the Lagos State Water Corporation people for resolving the water pipeline issue, which constituted a major hindrance to the project. After the resolution of this issue, the CCECC has refused to mobilise to site in Lagos,” the minister said.
