The Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Bauchi State Branch, says the Ningi township 11km road project is worth the cost and meets international standards
- The NSE says the road project is not a single lane road but a dual carriage one, which requires more materials and labour.
- The NSE says the cost estimation considers various factors such as terrain, soil conditions, drainage requirements, environmental considerations, and quality materials.
- The NSE says the road project will have long-term benefits for the community and the state.
The Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Bauchi State Branch, has defended the recently awarded Ningi township 11km road project at the sum of N10.3bn by the Bala Mohammed administration. The NSE says the project is not overpriced and meets international standards.
The Guardian reported that critics of the government had faulted and raised eyebrows over the cost, saying that the N1bn for one km was outrageous for a state where the majority of the people are multidimensionally poor. Mohammed had on 5th of November awarded the road to MotherCat Construction Company to dualise the road.
While addressing the press at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Monday, the NSE State Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Hadi Ibrahim, said: “We, as the Nigerian Society of Engineers, support the government’s commitment to infrastructure development and attest to the integrity of the cost estimation for the Ningi-Gudduba dual carriageway road project”.
He further explained that the road project is not a single lane road but a dual carriage one, which requires more materials and labour. He said the cost estimation considers various factors such as terrain, soil conditions, drainage requirements, environmental considerations, and quality materials.
He also said that the road project will have long-term benefits for the community and the state. He said the project will improve the connectivity, mobility, safety, and economic activities of the people in the area.
He urged the public to be aware that infrastructure development comes with a price, and investments in quality roads have long-term benefits for the community.
In conclusion, on behalf of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Bauchi Branch, he expressed his gratitude to the Bauchi State Government for its commitment to infrastructure development, particularly in the realm of road construction. He encouraged the government to sustain this momentum and assured them of their continued support and collaboration in achieving even greater milestones in the future.
He also dismissed the recent insinuations circulating in some quarters regarding the perceived over-inflation of the project cost. He said the insinuation that the project was awarded at the sum of 1 Billion Naira per kilometer is highly erroneous and misleading, because the road is not a single lane road but a dual carriage one. He said every Nigerian is aware of the rising cost of everything including construction materials.
