By OBINNA UNAEZE

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi has directed contractors handling Federal road projects across the country to apply concrete cement, to ensure the roads last for 100 years.

Umahi gave the directive on Saturday in Awka, during an inspection visit on the ongoing reconstruction of the Enugu – Onitsha express.

He said that all federal road projects across the country would be completed on record time, but the immigration junction/Amansea border section of the Enugu – Onitsha express way would be completed by May, 2026.

The minister said that the road project was being done by the Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) and funded by the tax being paid by the MTN communication firm.

“The era of so much use of asphalt has gone, most roads are being constructed with concrete for a long-lasting duration.

“I am very impressed with the work being done by RCC who is using concrete to do about 23km of road, the first 20km has been completed.

“We have 13 km, all on concrete which we expect will last for the next 100 years, and then we have the MTN road project which makes it a total of 104 km.

“They have sub-contractor which is Niger Cat, and Niger Cat is doing a good job and RCC is also doing a good job.

“We have seen that within the next two weeks what would be left with Niger Cat will be zero on their own section already and what would be left of RCC would be 23 kms.

“Nobody guarantees asphalt for more than 15 years in this country but we are doing concrete on our roads under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu with a guarantee of 100 years,” he said.

Umahi explained that the sustained inspection of road projects across the country was to ensure that Nigerians got value for their money.

“We are moving from asphalt to concrete and you have seen the beauty of the coastal roads, you have seen the beauty of what we are doing on our roads with concrete on East West Road, Trans-Sahara, Lagos – Calabar coastal highway, Sokoto-Badagry which are about to start,” he said.

He urged the people of the Southeast geopolitical zone to appreciate Tinubu for the massive road projects being executed in the region.

“The quality of what the President is doing would remain a legacy, so I ask the Southeast people to stand with Mr President and support the President’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ and support him.

“Before now this road was so terrible and people were on social media talking about all sorts of things but now that the road has been done, we want you to go to social media and thank Mr President and be grateful to God.

“If you appreciate what the man has done he would do more and the Southeast is on the rise and we are grateful to Mr President,” he said. (NAN)

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