FG pays N2.7trn owed contractors, says Zarma

Federal Government has paid a total sum of N2.7 trillion owed various contractors, of which N47 billion went to road contractors, since coming into office in 2015, Minister of State II for Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Suleiman Zarma, has said.

Zarma made this known during a stop-over to inspect the reconstruction and asphalt overlay of the 98.414 kms Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Ajibandele- Shagamu Dual Carriageway, Phase IV.

“These monies were paid not for jobs awarded by the present government but government did so believing that the contracts were awarded to benefit Nigerians,” he said.

He explained that the Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Shagamu being handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) was very strategic.

The road is part of the International Trans- African Highway connecting Lagos to the Port of Mombasa in Kenya through Enugu in Nigeria and Doula in Cameroon, the Minister said.

He also inspected the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion work on the 83.40 kms Lagos-Ibadan Dual Carriageway Section 1.

He commended the contractor, RCC, and urged them to redouble efforts to meet the July 3, 2018, completion deadline.