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FAAN, Julius Berger releases progress report on Abuja airport repairs

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The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and Julius Berger, the contractor handling the repair of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja runway, have said the work is 40 per cent completed.

The duo gave made this known in Abuja on Monday when members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, led by its Chairman, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, inspected the project.

Yemi Ayelesan, the Resident Engineer, FAAN, told the committee that the hardest part of the work, which is mailing of the 3.6km runway, had been completed.

He explained that the laying of ‘’fibre glide rubber”, which prevents water from going deep underground and also prevent runway from cracking, has also been completed.

Ayelesan told the committee that the contractors are working to specifications and would deliver on schedule, expressing confidence that the six weeks period for reopening of the airport was feasible.

According to him, the contractors are working round the clock to ensure that they meet the deadline.

Ayelesan said the repair work was a total reconstruction and not partial rehabilitation, explaining that the entire runway had been excavated for laying of asphalt.

He said there were isolated areas that were so bad that required digging deeper beyond mailing and laying of asphalt, stating that the entire surface were mailed to a certain depth.

According to him, there is nothing like partial rehabilitation, even the taxi way is being repaired.

Ayelesan saidL “Laying asphalt does not take time; it is the easiest part of the work.

“The lighting system is the next step, and the cable can be fixed within two days.

“As things are now, we will start fixing the light cable on March 29.”

Dr. Lai’s Richter, the Project Manager, Julius Berger, said the work was being done in line with the programme of work.

Richter said the fixing of the lighting cable would commence on Wednesday, restating that the runway repairs would be completed the before April 19 deadline.

Onyejeocha said their visit was to seek explanation on the level of work so far in line with the project agreement.

She also raised concern as to whether the repair work was a total reconstruction or partial repair, urging the contractor to ensure the completion of the project as scheduled.

“We want them to know that Nigerians are concerned and that there should be no extension of the completion date based on the agreement that we have put in place,” she said.

The contractors have recorded progress within 19 days since the commencement of work.

The runway was shut on March 8 for six weeks for its total repair and Abuja flights diverted to Kaduna pending the completion of the repair work.

Senate fails to stop closure of Abuja airport as engineers, ministers, Julius Berger disagree

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Nigeria’s Senate on Tuesday failed to stop the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for repair work on its runway.

The federal government had announced that the only airport in the country’s capital would be closed from March 8 for six weeks.

According to the plans of the aviation authorities, flights will be diverted to the Kaduna Airport and passengers from or to Abuja will be required to travel by rail or road for the period of the closure.

In the previous weeks, the Senate, following a motion by Hope Uzodinma, the chairman of the Committee on Aviation, had queried the plan and summoned officials of the executive arm connected to the matter, including the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Minister of Transport, Rotimi Aamechi; and the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

Appearing before the Senate last week, Mr. Sirika who disclosed that the repair work would gulp N5.8 billion, insisted the closure was necessary.

At the resumed hearing over the matter on Tuesday, Senators argued against the government’s plan, citing inconvenience and security concerns over the Kaduna-Abuja Road.

But Messrs. Fashola and Sirika insisted the plan was necessary.

“It is runway of the airport that needs to be closed because it isn’t safe, it is a matter of immense public safety,” Mr. Fashola said. “If there is choice between convenience and safety considerations, safety come first.”

He disclosed that the contract for rehabilitation of the Abuja -Kaduna road had been awarded, and the work would be completed 50 days ahead of the closure.

“Minna is a shorter distance, but my humble submission is that Kaduna-Abuja highway lends itself to the situation. There would be inconvenience and I sympathise with those who would be travelling, but Nigeria is not the first country to close an airport and divert traffic to another city,” he said.

Mr. Sirika told the Senators the government had budgeted N1.134 billion to ensure convenience, safety and security of passengers moving between Kaduna and Abuja for the period of the six-week closure of the Abuja Airport.

The expenditure will go to the police, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Immigration Service, Civil Defense Corps, Road Safety Corps, and the Ministry of Transport, taking about N350 million, N100 million, N29 million, N325 million, N237 million, N84 million respectively.

Julius Berger, the firm handling the repair on the the airport, said it was possible to execute the work without closure of the airport using segmented approach, but that would take two and a half years to complete.

Even so, the company’s Managing Director, Wolfgang Goetsch, said not closing the airport while the repair is ongoing depended on the scale of the work.

“But the state of the runway in Abuja, extent of damage and deterioration. The whole runway from one end to the other end is damaged.

“This means that if the method of spot repair is loose, you start from one side of the runway, lock it in the night and in the morning to open it up for traffic,” Mr. Goetsch said.

He said his company guaranteed completion within six weeks “subject to fulfillment of obligation of all the stakeholders.”

He added that the runway after the repair would last for a minimum of 10 years if regular maintenance was carried out on it; and that his company had received the contract award letter but that it had not been signed.

However, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, disagreed with the ministers, aligning with the senators’ point that the repair can be done without total closure.

The NSE President, Otis Ayaeji, said closing the Airport was tantamount to shutting down Nigeria, adding that there were local engineers whose firms could handle the project competently without closing the airport.

In the end, the Senate could not stop the closure.

But it took the position that its preference was a segmented approach to the repair to avoid total closure, while leaving the aviation authorities to take decision based on technical advice.

FG to shut Abuja airport for 6 weeks to repair damaged runway – Minister

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Hadi Sirika, minister of state for aviation, says the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, will be closed for six weeks between February and March 2017.

Addressing reporters on Monday, Sirika said the closure was to allow Julius Berger carry out total reconstruction on the badly damaged airport runway.

He said while the runway would still be put to use under the six months of rehabilitation, the six weeks would allow the mid-section of the runway to be reconstructed.

Sirika said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the reconstruction through the emergency procurement procedure for work to commence.

This, according to him, is because of the centrality, economy and the importance of Abuja to the general administration of the country.

He said government could not afford to close down Abuja airport for a long time as palliative repairs had been ongoing at the runway in the last three months.

“From start to finish of the runway, it will take six months. However, we will be using the runway almost throughout the period except for about six weeks when the runway will be closed,” he said.

“That is when we are going to do the mid-section of the runway. The government has accepted the design done by the contractor. The runway will last for than 10 years on completion early next year.”

Sirika said Abuja-bound passengers from any part of the world would use Kaduna airport as alternative during the six-week closure to passengers.

He said arrangement had been finalised with Kaduna, adding that while the federal government would provide buses to convey the passengers to Abuja, the state government would provide security.

According to Sirika, it will cost government substantial amount of money “but we think that palliative approach is wrong because three years down we will come back to do the same repairs.

“Therefore, we decided to go for the bigger option, which is to do structural repairs of the runway which will take about six months to complete.”

On the bilateral air agreement with other countries, Sirika said government had signed BASA with 18 countries that Nigerians frequently visit and do business with.

The MOUs, he said, would give Nigeria the opportunity to operate air services with 18 countries.

“With this, we have the freedom to fly and land safely in other air space and this will assist in opening our market,” he said.

Aggrieved workers chase Julius Berger officials

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Aggrieved workers of Julius Berger residing at Berger Camp, Kubwa, on Thursday, chased out a team of security personnel sent by the management of the company to disconnect utility services in the camp.

Kenneth Ekekwem, one of the leaders of the workers, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the security team was led by Ojo Samuel, security supervisor in Julius Berger.

He said that Mr. Samuel drove into the camp at 8 a.m. in a white Golf Julius Berger car (JB B2741) to remove electrical installation including refuse bins used by workers living in the camp.

Mr. Ekekwem told NAN that representatives of the workers on Wednesday met with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition.

“We went there to defend the petition we sent to the committee; the management of Julius Berger was also there.

“The committee ordered that Julius Berger should stay action on its plan to eject the workers today (Thursday).

“It also ordered Julius Berger to cancel whatever action it intended to carry out today; members of the committee say they will visit the camp by 12 noon on Monday next week.

“The committee directed that the Managing Director of Julius Berger should also be at the camp.

“The committee said it will look into conditions in the camp and condition of the workers residing in the camp.”

Mr. Ekekwem said that the workers were shocked when they saw a crane belonging to the company, a refuse van and two articulated vehicles drive into the camp as early as 8 a.m. on Thursday.

“The vehicles were driven to the Generator House to disconnect and remove electric parts including transformers.

“One of the transformers was donated by Bwari Area Council, but Julius Berger management refused to connect it for our use.

“The transformer currently in use in the camp was bought by the workers who contributed N5,000 each,” he said, adding that the workers mobilised and chased the drivers and their vehicles from the camp.

Mr. Ekekwem said that when the workers prevented Mr. Samuel and his team from cutting off their electricity supply, he went to the Nigeria Police Mobile Unit to report that there was riot at the camp.

“Officers of the mobile police immediately rushed to the camp battle ready, but they met us sitting peacefully.

“We told them we are not rioting but fighting for our right; they left and urged us to remain peaceful.

“We called and informed Musa Dikko, the Bwari Area Council (chairman), who immediately dispatched the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and his team to the camp.

“We told the DPO and his team what transpired and they also urged us to remain calm and peaceful,’’ Mr. Ekekwem added.

NAN recalls that in 1999 the management of Julius Berger sacked 7,200 workers without paying them their terminal benefits.

On June 16, this year, the Coordinating Secretary of the workers, Sunday Gbangbala, told NAN that the workers approached an Abuja High Court which gave judgment in their favour.

Mr. Gbangbala added that dissatisfied with the judgment of the High Court, the management of Julius Berger approached the Court of Appeal and also lost the case.

“The matter is already at the Supreme Court which is yet to deliver its judgment.

“On June 13, 2016, Julius Berger approached a Wuse Magistrates’ Court to evict us from our apartments, but the court ordered the company to maintain the status quo,’’ Mr. Gbangbala said.

On November 23, a delegation of the workers visited the chairman, National Human Right Commission to file a petition.

Their visit coincided with the visit of members of the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights to the commission.

Edward Pwajok, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights, promised that his committee would investigate the issues raised by the protesters.

“It is not proper for people to treat Nigerian workers in our country anyhow; we will ensure there is justice in this matter.

“We came here to see what the commission is doing and coincidentally met this issue of foreign companies treating Nigerians with impunity.

“Thank God we are in a democracy; we will fight this cause on your behalf; I urge you to remain law abiding Nigerians.

“You are here to seek redress and redress you shall get,” Mr. Pwajok assured.

Nigeria Vs Algeria: Fresh ‘Fears’ Over Use Of Akwa-Ibom Stadium.

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There are fears over the use of the Akwa Ibom Stadium in Uyo which has been pencilled down to host Saturday’s crucial World Cup qualifying match between the Super Eagles and their Algerian counterparts.

 

Feelers from the oil-rich city suggest that the Akwa-Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom is on a collision course with Julius Berger, the company that built the edifice and equally saddled with the maintenance.

 

 

A source told reporters in Uyo that that Governor has terminated the contract of the German construction company and they are now spurred for war that may affect Saturday’s game if not promptly addressed.

 

Already, we are making frantic efforts to hear from the representative of the State Government, as many are keen to see that the Eagles arrival and training go unhindered.

 

Saturday’s outing will be Nigeria’s 50th World Cup qualifying home match as they take on the Fennecs of Algeria

Omojuwa: Progress Report on Section 2 of Lagos – Ibadan Expressway [Pictures]

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Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) have returned to site to resume work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for some times now and from the look of things, work on the major road is in progress as the government continues to carry out due oversight to ensure quality of work done.
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been in a deplorable state for some years now. With countless of bad roads induced accidents recorded annually, the road at a point became a nightmare for lots of Nigerians who travel along that route.
Pictures sent in to Omojuwa.Com by reliable sources, indicates that work truly is ongoing and the plan of the road is beginning to take proper form.
Below are pictures of the Progress Report on Rehabilitation, Reconstruction & Expansion of Section 2 of Lagos – Ibadan Expressway (Shagamu-lbadan):
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Julius Berger shuts part of Lagos-Ibadan expressway for 9 days.

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Julius Berger Plc, one of the contractors handling the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has announced the closure of a section of the road at the Sagamu Interchange beginning from Thursday.

The closure, which will last for nine days (from November 3 to November 12), according to the Ogun State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Clement Oladele, is to effect repairs on that section of the road.

This was contained in a statement he issued in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Thursday, part of which read, “There will be a temporary closure by Julius Berger Nigeria of a section of the Ibadan/Lagos corridor by Sagamu Interchange from Thursday, November 3 to Saturday November 12 to effect repairs.

“Motorists should exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules; cooperate with the FRSC officials and other traffic officers who will ensure minimal discomfort to motorists during the period.

“Demarcation with traffic signs has been made on appropriate routes to follow and our men will be on ground to control traffic. Motorists are advised to be patient and obey traffic signs and traffic controllers.”

While Julius Berger is handling the Lagos-Sagamu stretch of the road, Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited is in charge of the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan end of the expressway.

Julius Berger Pledges Partnership With Media For National Development

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The multinational company, Julius Berger Nigeria on Wednesday pledged continuous partnership with the media for proper development of the country.
Mr Zubairu Bayi, the Executive Director, Administration made the pledge at an interactive forum with newsmen at its club house in Abuja.
“Let me very respectively assure the media that as responsible corporate citizen, Julius Berger Nigeria will within the framework of the law continue to open friendly relationship with our media partners.
“For the clarification of any news story relating to our company, we pledge to you our sincere commitment through our media relations office.
“Therefore, we plead with you our valued media partner to reach out to our media relations office to verify every material in order to give fairness and balance to any story,’’ he said.
Bayi said that Julius Berger and the media were connected in a partnership that ensured that both bodies conduct their businesses in the public domain.

 

“Julius Berger receives open communication when the public is satisfied with our infrastructure. Likewise the media get high acknowledgement when it delivers precisely factual information to Nigerians.
“Due to the mutual and open commitment to excellent, progressive development and the common goal, our societies understandably ask for more from Julius Berger and the media.
“It is a tonic that drives excellence in every society and it is a social paradigm that we understand, respect and appreciate immensely,’’ Bayi said.
He said that the media parley was its little way to say “thank you’’ to the media partners for good understanding and abiding faith in the company as a faithful development partner of Nigeria.
In response, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ) FCT Council, Mr Paul Ella, thanked Julius Berger Nigeria and solicited for its support to build a befitting library for the council.
Ella said that the company should see the construction of the library as part of its corporate social responsibility to the society.

 

(NAN)

Julius Berger, RCC Resume Work On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

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Construction giants, Julius Berger PLC and RCC, are back on site in continuation of the re-construction of the N167 billion Lagos-Ibadan express way.

NAN reports that the presence of workmen became more noticeable at the Redemption Camp and Arepo areas at the Lagos end of the road.

NAN reports that while palliative works were ongoing at the failed spots in the Redemption Camp area of the road, major construction work was being done at the Arepo area.

Julius Berger is handling Section One of the project, which stretches from Shagamu Inter-Change to Lagos, while RCC is in charge of Section Two, stretching from Shagamu Inter-Change to Ojoo, Ibadan.

The repair of the failed sections has greatly brought relief to motorists who now clamoured for early completion of the road which, undoubtedly, remain the busiest highway in the country.

A source at the Julius Berger end of the road, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the company was back on the road for good, saying: “it is time to move forward on the project.”

The expected date for the completion of the project, which is being financed through Public and Private Partnership (PPP), is July 3, 2017.

Meanwhile, motorists and commuters who use the road have continued to appeal to the Federal Government to speed up work to make traveling on the road pleasurable.

Ojo Agege, a commercial vehicle driver plying the road daily, told NAN that it was high time the government ensured speedy completion of the project.

Lateef Mohammed, another commercial driver, told NAN that motorists would continue to have nightmares on the road until Federal Government fixed the road.

“All we are saying is that the government should help to fast-track the construction of the road to ease traffic delay being experienced daily by travellers,” he said.

Simisola Joseph, a female trader, however, expressed optimism that with the coming of Babatunde Fashola as Works and Housing Minister,the construction would soon be completed.

Motorists and travellers have also commended RCC for the progress made so far on the Section Two of the road from Shagamu Inter-Change to Ibadan.

Femi Ajegun, a driver, told NAN that vehicular movement was now easy with the completion of work on some critical areas at the Ibadan end of the road.

“With the quality of job done and removal of long stretch of diversion by RCC, motorists and travellers now experience some pleasurable ride,” he said.

Sule Maito, a bus passenger at Ogere area of the road, told NAN that if RCC could continue with the way it was going, the job could be completed on schedule.

NAN recalls that the Federal Ministry of Works, last week after a meeting of stakeholders with the Presidency, said that government had committed N50 billion to the project.

The ministry promised that no stone would be left unturned to ensure completion of the road rehabilitation on time.