JULIUS BERGER, THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR ABUJA-KANO ROAD PROJECT- Federal Ministry of Works and Housing

From Emmanuel Isibor Lagos

The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has said that the choice of Julius BergerNigeria Plc as the contractor to handle the important construction and rehabilitationworks of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project “was not a mistake by the Government”.The position of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing was stated by the Federal Controller of Works Engr. F.J Zira at the official handover and opening ceremony ofa completed portion of section two of the road by Julius Berger to ease the expectedheavy traffic and to enhance a joyful travel experience for commuters plying the roadduring the Christmas and New Year festivities.The Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Zira stated that, concerning the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project, Julius Berger was working professionally,assiduously and consistently as scheduled on the road, adding that there was no cause for worry about the delivery of the project. Julius Berger, he said, has the historical operational legacy, qualified engineering construction capacity, deployed technical and professional resources as well as the requisite logistical competence needed to deliver the project as planned. He emphasized that: “The choice ofJulius Berger was not a mistake”.Engr. Zira, thanked Julius Berger for the partial opening up of completed portion ofSection 2 of the project between Kawo Bridge junction in Kaduna State capital andZaria, adding that the partial opening of the completed part of the road would go along way to make travel experience of commuters more enjoyable.Also speaking in the same vein at the opening ceremony, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Hassan T. Mohammed commended and thanked the contractor, Julius Berger, for its helpful commitment to enhance roadsafety as well as ease the pains of commuters using the road by the partial openingof section 2, even as work continue to progress steadily on the rest of the road. The Abuja-Kano Road (AKR) project contract was awarded on the 2nd of January 2018 with a completion period of 36 months.The project entails the rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, in the FCT,Kaduna and Kano States. There are three (3) sections in the project;Section 1 of the road starts at Zuba junction, Zuba and terminates at Kaduna western Bypass in the Kaduna State capital; Section 2 of the project runs between Kawo Bridge junction in the Kaduna State capital and Zaria; and Section 3 of the road project connects Zaria town to Kano.