Engineer causions Umahi over concrete road proposal for road construction

Mix reactions have continued to trail the recent proposal by the Minister of Works, David Umahi directive to road construction companies to use concrete for execution of projects.

A Civil Engineer and Managing Director of Gapatect. Nigeria Ltd based in Calabar Engr. Edet Udoh said consideration should be given in instances where the project to be executed falls under certain geographical terrains in the country to save cost and ensure durability and quality of work.

Udoh said as concrete falls under the rigid pavement in Engineering construction and bitumen is in the flexible pavement category, care should be taken to ensure that the wrong materials is not applied on porous soils just to cut cost and maximize profit by contractors to the detriment of workmanship if engineering precision and best practice is to be achieved as one is good for internal road network while the other is good for super highway projects that is expected to stand the test of time and carry heavy traffic.

And doubling down, in a chat with newsmen on Wednesday September 6, 2023 in Calabar he said that in engaging rigid payment for a road work, most contractors would cut corners to make gain which is not at times possible to short change materials in a bitumen plant in job execution, hence there is need for proper monitoring to avoid lapses in project delivery.

He used the opportunity to congratulate the Commissioner representing Cross River State in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Rt. Hon. Orok Duke for his re-nomination into the board and appealed to him to use his wealth of experience to change the narrative so as to attract laudable projects to the state by personally supervising allocated projects from start to finish to avoid contractors abandoning the project after collecting mobilization fee. He thanked President Bola Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu for doing the needful to correct the abnormally in the previous appointment of former Cross River State Commissioner for Information Mr. Asu Okang which resulted in protest by some APC members in the state.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)