The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, on Thursday revealed he constructed roads that would last 50 years without maintenance while he was governor of Ebonyi State.
He made the revelation in relation to the quality of roads constructed in the country saying Nigeria should have roads according to her temperature.
Umahi said this while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday.
He said, “I also noticed that some of the projects, while you are still on the roads, they have gone bad,” the former Ebonyi State governor, who was also sworn in on Monday, said.
“When I was on the Abuja-Lokoja Road, I discovered that the asphalt was flowing. And if you enter that road with speed, that is the end of such a person,” Umahi added.
“I did 3,500 kilometres of concrete road in Ebonyi State, and it is maintenance-free. For 50 years, you will not maintain it,” he said.
Umahi also said that the Tinubu administration is ready to provide funds for the construction of quality roads in the country. Even as he revealed that the government is also looking at reducing the cost of construction.
“We are looking at all these things. How do we cut down costs? Because the primary issue is also the cost of construction,” he said.
“We are looking at the figures but it looks like a lot of contractors are not willing, but I will make them to make the change – we are all engineers.
“I am telling them your profit, I will protect whatever thing you want to make but, let’s help Nigeria, let’s build a road that will last and the funny thing is that the government – the President will give out the money.”
