By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—THE Federal Government has awarded the contract for the dualization of the Benin-Abraka Road for the sum over N30billion.

And following the withdrawal of staff of the RCC, the contractor handling the Benin-Lagos Road over the incessant kidnapping of its staff, which had stalled work on the road, the Federal Government has also engaged an indigenous contractor, ENACO, to ensure that the road is motorable this yuletide period, pending when RCC would return to site.

The Minister of State for Works, Dr Chris Ogienwonyi, who inspected some Federal Government roads in the state, urged Nigerians to commend the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration for its efforts so far in ensuring that all  federal roads in the country were motorable.

He said, “I think we must start giving credits. We must give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. This is what the Federal Government has done within the last six months of its existence.

I became a Minister in April and when I came to Benin, I took a tour of all the Federal Government roads, I realised that the road was not a 7.3 meter width it should be. I raised this issue at the council meeting and celebrate with me, just last Wednesday, the Federal Government approved to dualize that road from Benin to Abraka, at a cost of over N30billion. I think the Federal Government deserves a commendation.

“I tell you one thing, if we can guarantee RCC continuous security, the way they started in October, when we were targeting after the rains that after the rains, RCC should fully mobilize to get the road well done.

But with this closure, what we just did last Wednesday at the Council meeting, was to ask another contractor as a responsive Federal Government to ensure the safety and in-view of the Christmas ahead, to ensure a free movement of our people.

“So Federal Government through Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, again, has asked ENACO to mobilize to site tomorrow (Monday). So from tomorrow, from Ofusu to Ore you will see ENACO working where RCC left. Again we must commend Mr President. ENCACO has more of our people, more Nigerians. So we hope that  the ransom they are putting on white skin, this time around, since they are more of Nigerians, they will allow them to work,“ he said.