The Management of the contracting firm handling the construction of the Bodo-Bonny Road project – Julius Berger Nigeria Limited – says about 300 Rivers youths would be engaged by the company in January, 2021, in addition to the already engaged staff working in the ongoing project.
The construction giant said that the engagement of the youths was part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), even as the Federal Government has hinted that the 2022 deadline for the completion of the project remains sacrosanct.
The Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State is the first road project that would link Bonny Island to the rest of the state, when completed.
The Project Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, Mr Thomas Hang, stated this at the project site while speaking to journalists at the Ataba section of the Bodo-Bonny Road following a botched scheduled inspection visit of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, to the project, over the weekend.
Thomas said that the 300 youths to be engaged by the company would not be limited to the host communities only but would include people from other parts of the state, adding that the company had mobilised to site, and commenced construction work on the project in October, 2017.
He disclosed that two bridges have so far been completed with asphalt work done, and expressed optimism that the company would deliver the project in August, 2022, as scheduled.
Also speaking, the Director, Road Design, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr Omotayo Awosanya, said the 2022 completion date of the project was sacrosanct, saying that the road project was dear to the Federal Government as it would link Bonny Island, a major economic hub of the country, to other parts of the state as well as boost the development of the state.
Awosanya put the contract sum of the project at about N120.6billion, adding that the road project, which traverses Gokana, Andoni and Bonny local government areas, has three major bridges, nine mini bridges and one pipeline crossing bridge.
According to him, about 31 kilometres work has already been done, noting that with the speed of work achieved, the company believes that the project would be delivered according to schedule.
“The Bodo-Bonny Road project comprises of the construction of a 37.9km single carriageway with major and mini bridges.
“The road section is being reversed to comprise flexible pavement on sand-filled embankment from ch0+000 to ch32+600 rigid pavements within Bonny Town to ch32+600 to ch37+900.
“The Afa Creek bridge at ch4+850-(502mlong) Opobo channel bridge with approach bridges at ch17+500-(1198m long) Nanabia Creek bridge with approach bridges at ch19+128-(782mlong) 9nos mini bridges between ch6+100 and ch21+915 (total (length348) and one pipeline crossing bridge at ch10+359(204m long),” he stated.
On project funding, Awosanya said that at the award of the project, the funding template was designed to be a counterpart concept where the Federal Government would pay 50 per cent of the cost while the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited would also pay 50 per cent of the cost.
He, however, told journalists that NLNG has indicated interest to fully fund the project and deduct the cost from taxes to the Federal Government.
“The NLNG representatives are here. That is what they have committed to”, he stated.
