Ben Ezechime, Enugu
In October 2022, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the takeover of the construction work on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway by MTN Nigeria at N202.8 billion, under the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit (RITC) scheme.
According to the Minister for Works, he said the telecoms giant would complete the dualisation of the 110-kilometre road that had been in very deplorable condition.
The expressway constructed way back in the 80’s under the Government of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) has defied all attempts by previous administrations to reconstruct.
The present outgoing administration of Muhammadu Buhari saw that the only way to surmount the problem was to go under the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit (RITC) scheme.
Ikengaonline investigation shows that work has been progressing well with the contractor, RCC (Reynolds Construction Company), doing a great job on that road.
However, it seems the successes recorded so far may be over following the struggle over who controls the funds from the MTN Nigeria meant for payment of the contractor.
According to a reliable source who craved anonymity, work has stopped on Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, adding that it did not stop because of lack of funds, but because of the greed and corruption within government circle.
Our source claimed that some scrupulous politicians in the National Assembly, their counterparts in Ministry of Works and MTN are currently at logger-heads over who should be in charge of funds and disbursing of same to the contractor (RCC).
One of the construction Engineers, who refused to speak on why work has stopped on the project, simply said: “I can only say, we are temporarily out of the site.”
