Forfeited assets: CLEEN Foundation applauds Contractors on infrastructural projects

CLEEN Foundation has extolled efforts by contractors in ensuring best practices in the ongoing infrastructural projects in parts of the country.

The foundation gave the commendation at the press briefing on the monitoring of utilisation of forfeited assets in Nigeria on Friday in Abuja.

CAPITAL POST gathered that CLEEN Foundation, based on trilateral aggrement signed by the Federal Government, the United States of America (USA) and Bailiwick of Jersey, was appointed in February this year(2021), to provide effective monitoring on the sharing, transfer, disposition, repatriation and management of forfeited funds worth $311.8 million.

The said funds is expected to be used for infrastructural development such as the the Abuja-Kano road, Second River Niger Bridge and the Lagos Ibadan express way.

This newspaper also gathered that the forfeited assets amounting to N126 billion (One Hundred and twenty-six billion Naira) is being spent equally on three projects that cut across three zones of the country namely:N42 billion naira for the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, N42 billion for the second Niger bridge; and N42 billion for the Abuja-Kano Road.

In her address, CLEEN Foundation Acting Executive Director, Mrs. Ruth Olofin noted that since the commencement of the project in June (2021) series of unscheduled and on-the-spot visitation have been carried out by trained monitors domiciled in the project locations and from observations everything is going on well.

Mrs Olofin said “CLEEN Foundation and her Consortium partners upon an agreed program of works with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and Responsible Contractors spanning from June 2021 – March 2022 have embarked on series of on-the-spot checks and unscheduled visits to these locations.

“Twenty-nine (29) Nigerian citizens domiciled in localities close to the project locations where work is being performed have being trained on the methodology to undertake the monitoring functions including the CLEEN project team. These monitors have been deployed to undertake unscheduled  visits to the construction locations. Currently, about 450 unscheduled visits have been undertaken.

“Furthermore, the CLEEN Consortium has embarked on two quarterly site visits to the three project locations since the commencement of this project in June 2021. The first site visit was between the 14th – 25th of June 2021, while the second was undertaken between the 16th – 20th of August and 22nd – 25th of September 2021 respectively.

“The CLEEN Consortium during her monitoring visitations to the project site locations since June 2021 in relation to the forfeited assets observed that work is progressing at each project location. Workers were on site, construction activities are ongoing, and each of the project offices are staffed and operational.

“The Monitoring Team was met timely and without incident by the EPC Contractors who were suitably prepared and offered appropriate comprehensive updates on the nature and progress of works at each of the site locations. The quality of work observed appears to be consistent with acceptable standards.

“There were simultaneous ongoing construction activities on both sides of the dual carriageway of the Abuja-Kano Road, sections of the Second River Niger Bridge, and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Examples of infrastructures built when we conducted our monitoring activities include but are not limited to the following: Median Barrier, Road Drainage, Main Carriageway, and Remedial Work (road markings, grass planting).

“The means and methods used by the EPC Contractors, especially at the Second Niger Bridge, appear to be innovative. For the Second river Niger Bridge, Julius Berger demonstrated good innovation using geotextile, given that the secondary road subgrades were weak.

“This construction method/value engineering has several benefits that include accelerating the construction time, increasing the road lifespan and durability, and reducing the need for frequent maintenance. In addition, the cold recycling method which promotes effective cost management is another valued engineering method  by Julius Berger Nigeria at the Abuja-Kano Road” she added.

The project locations being monitored cut across eight (8) states namely Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Delta, Anambra, FCT (Abuja), Kaduna and Kano.

According to CLEEN Foundation, “the rehabilitation of the Lagos to Ibadan Expressway was awarded to two EPC Contractors, Reynolds Construction Company Ltd. (RCC), and Julius Berger Ltd. (JBL). While Reynolds Construction Company is responsible for Section two of the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway (Sagamu-Ibadan), Julius Berger Nigeria Limited is responsible  for Section one of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Lagos-Sagamu axis), Second River Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kano Road.

“On both sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the forfeited assets are mainly utilized on Km 12, 13, 22, 24, 37, 43, 48, 49, 50-54, 101-104, and 108-112. Some popular landmarks identified around the construction sites include Deeper life/MFM, NASFAT Camp, Ajura , Idi-Ayunre, Iperu, Ilishan-Remo, Ogere, Redemption camp,  Ojoo, and  Oleyo.

“For the Second River Niger Bridge, the East Bank of the Niger (Onitsha axis), West Bank of the Niger River (Asaba axis), toll stations, secondary bridges (Atani & Amakom) and the Owerri interchange at Obosi  are areas the forfeited assets are currently being  utilised on this site location.

“On the Abuja-Kano road, the forfeited assets are currently being utilised at  Km 12+650 – Km 18 by Nepa U-turn close to Kwamba/Tafa, work zones 7 and 8 in Km 44-53 close to Jere town, Km 196-199 located at Birnin-Yero, in Turunku in Igabi LG area of Kaduna State, Km 227-235 located between Tariyan-Sarkin and Dutsan Abba  at Zaria LG of Kaduna State, and Km 351 – 378 located between Ciromawa – Karfi communities of Kano State”.