By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
ABUJA—THE contractor handling the East-West Road between Warri and Port Harcourt, in the Niger Delta, Setraco Nigeria Ltd, yesterday, said that a detailed work plan had been mapped out to ensure it delivered the project on schedule.

Its Managing Director, Engr. Michael Hachenberg told Vanguard in Abuja in an interview that Section One, stretching from Warri to Kaiama, would be completed in 2012.

He said: “We are assuring Nigerians that Section One will be delivered in 2012, if enough funds are provided and adequate budgetary allocation made.

“The contract for this section was awarded to our organisation on July 18, 2006. Since the commencement of the project execution, we have continued with due diligence with the construction and to date we have achieved about 54 per cent physical accomplishment. We are fully mobilized on site and the present seemingly low activity on site is occasioned by the inclement weather condition.

“Section Two covering from Kaiama to Eleme Junction in Port-Harcourt was initially given to Julius Berger but the company had to pull out owing to the hostility of the militants.

Contract for the dualization of the Section Two of the East West Highway Project, between Kaiama and Port Harcourt was awarded to our organisation in two separate awards after the project had been abandoned by the original contractor.

“Setraco Nigeria Limited is fully mobilised in the two subsections with full complements in plants and equipment and presently executing about 5,000.00m3 of earthwork daily including casting of beams for the bridges amidst the obvious odds within the operating environment. Since we took over this job, six bridges have been completed, and with the level of our mobilization, and the sustenance of the amnesty granted by the Federal Government, the tempo of activities will obviously be more visible when the weather becomes clement.

“Without any prejudice to the foregoing, our achievements so far, in Sections I and II of the East –West Road Dualization Projects have been based on our total corporate commitment for high standards of performance to meet our clients’ needs. We shall not compromise on these principles.

“In general, the challenges posed by inadequate budgetary allocation for the project execution was the incontrovertible source of delay to the project realization. Now, with the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the visible level of commitment of the government, we believe that the Project will be handed over and completed before the year 2012 runs out.”