News
FG threatens to terminate RCC’s contract over road construction delay
The Federal Government has hinted at the termination of the Reynolds Construction Company Osun-Ogbomosho road contract over an 18-year delay in the completion of the project.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a joint inspection of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Lagos-Ota Expressway and Lagos-Sagamu road.
He said, “The Osun-Ogbomoso road repair is being done by RCC. The contract has taken too long, equating 18 years and the work is not still completed, so we can terminate the contract with RCC by effluxion of time.”
Speaking on the Lagos-Ibadan Sagamu road, Umahi asserted that the contractors contracted for phase 2 of the road project risked termination for non-completion.
He said, “Two contractors were handed the Lagos-Ibadan Sagamu road, which has phases 1 & 2, Julius Berger has completed their part, but RCC is yet to complete phase 2.
“The contractor (RCC) handling the Sagamu to Ibadan stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway risks termination of its appointment if it fails to return to the site to complete the remaining three kilometers portion of the project, without further delay.”
Umahi explained that RCC had already been given a seven-day deadline, and a warning letter would follow if the contractor did not comply with the fresh terms of the contract.
Speaking On the Lagos-Abeokuta federal highway which has been in bad shape for over eight years, the minister stated that the Governor of Ogun State had excised out the section of Ogun and had awarded it, adding that work was ongoing in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
The directive stated, “Any state governor that wants to do a road should go ahead.”
Umahi continued, “Now we have 18km that is left and this 18km is being processed for conception but I am happy that I came here by myself because one of the carriageways is very good but the traffic in this place is quite enormous.
“So due to public outcry, we have procured about 7km for palliative work. Though we do not have all the money to do the remaining 11km, we have applied to the Minister of Finance to give us some emergency funds to do the entire 18km for the people to use while we await the due process of construction.”
The minister recommended the use of concrete on the Lagos-Ota road.
Meanwhile, Umahi ordered an immediate evacuation of buried refuse on the runway of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to give the ongoing road construction an accelerated approach.
By Gloria Ikibah
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has clarified reports alleging that his land title in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was revoked due to unpaid dues.
In a press statement issued on December 20, 2024, the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, affirmed that Speaker Abbas owns only one land title in the FCT and had fully settled the required payment in October 2024. This payment was made promptly after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) issued public notices in the newspapers regarding outstanding obligations.
The Speaker described the inclusion of his name among defaulters as an error on the part of the FCTA and urged the agency to exercise greater caution in managing such matters.
He also called on the media to verify facts thoroughly before publishing reports, cautioning against the dissemination of misleading information that could tarnish his reputation.
The Speaker therefore appealed for restraint in circulating inaccurate.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given owners of the 762 plots of land in Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone, A10, Abuja, a fresh two-week ultimatum to pay for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) or risk final revocation of their allocations.
According to a statement on Friday, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister reiterated that the primary interest was not for people to lose their lands, but to get them to make necessary payments to the government.
The statement read: “It should be recalled that on October 5, 2024, list of 3,273 allottees/title holders that were yet to pay for their C-of-O were published. They were offered two weeks to pay their bills or lose their Right of Occupancy (R-of-O) titles. Out of the 3,273, a total of 2,511 complied, leaving 762.
Yesterday, notice of withdrawal of the R-of-O titles of the 762 defaulters was published.
“Since then, many of the affected allottees have offered to pay, and since the primary aim of the government is to ensure payment, a two weeks grace has been given.
“Consequently, the 762 allottees and the 614 others with outstanding payment on C-of-O will have till January 3, 2025 to pay, or have their R-of-O titles withdrawn, pursuant to the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978.
After January 3, 2025, there will be no further extension and withdrawal of the R-of-O titles of defaulters will be final.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas has declared that he is not owing FCTA a dime as alleged in a section of the media.
The speaker who made this declaration via a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Musa Abdullahi Kirishi stated that:
“The attention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has been drawn to reports in both the print and electronic media to the effect that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) revoked land titles in the FCT, belonging to certain individuals, including the Speaker, due to non-settlement of outstanding payments.
“For the record, His Excellency, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, has only one land allocated to him in the FCT, and has since settled his outstanding payment in October 2024, following the FCTA’s newspapers’ publications to that effect.
“It is, therefore, an error for the FCTA to include his name among those having outstanding payments, leading to the revocation of the land titles. The FCTA is advised to be more circumspect in handling such issues.
The Speaker cautions the media to always verify their facts before going to press with such issues.
The media are, therefore, urged to desist from further publishing or spreading such misleading information about the person of the Speaker.
Speaker Abbas Refutes Claims of Outstanding Land Payment to FCTA
Wike gives final ultimatum to land owners to pay for C-of-O
Land Title:Speaker Abbas insists he’s not owing FCTA
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