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The Federal Government of Nigeria and telecommunication giant, MTN, have assured that the people of the south east that the prevailing economic situation will not affect the ongoing work on the 107-kilometre Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
They made the promise at a parley between Works Minister Dave Umahi and stakeholders, including MTN management, led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Karl Toriola, on Thursday.
MTN is one of the corporate organisations empowered by the government to use 50 percent of their expected tax to fund critical road infrastructure in the country.
The company is expected to spend N200 billion on the expressway which has a three-year completion target.
Umahi, according to a statement by the Works ministry’s Director of Information, Olusola Abiola, said MTN’s readiness to deliver the road was in line with the determination of the Bola Tinubu administration to see speedy completion of all ongoing road projects.
Read Also: Nigerian Army Thanks FG, MTN for Enugu-Onitsha Highway Support
The minister added that the ministry would abide by the provisions of the presidential order on the tax credit scheme.
Abiola quoted Toriola as expressing appreciation for Umahi’s understanding of the challenges being faced in the execution of the contract.
Toriola also assured that MTN would continue to partner with the Federal Government and work assiduously for the successful completion of the highway project.
The minister also set up two committees on the review of the agreement for the Central Workshop in Ijora, Lagos and security of highway project sites.
Abiola and Special Adviser to the minister on Media Uchenna Orji, announced these in separate statements yesterday.
The ad hoc committee on security of highway project sites comprises retired Armed Forces and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) personnel.
“We are concerned about the security of our sites during construction and we believe strongly that if we have experienced security personnel who understand the terrain, it would go a long way in ensuring the security of the sites,” Umahi said during the ceremony.
He noted that “there are some projects awarded in the Northeast Northwest and Southeast for which the contractors left the sites due to insecurity.”
In his statement, Orji quoted Umahi as expressing reservations over the financial negotiations in the concession contract for the Central Workshop in Lagos.
He added that the five-member committee was mandated to review the agreement to achieve value for the Federal Government.
