Chris Ochayi And Ifeyinwa Obi
2 December 2008
The Federal Government yesterday awarded the contract for the designing and dredging of the 572 kilometres River Niger from Warri in Delta State to Baro in Kogi State to ten different firms at a total cost put at N36, 084, 204, 575.
Breakdown of the figure showed the contracts for the dredging projects was awarded to five contractors in the sum of N34, 806,353, 521, while that of designing were also awarded to five other consultant firms in the sum of N1, 277,851,054.64.
Minister of Transportation, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke who signed the agreement on behalf of the government, said both the designing and dredging project was divided into five sections. The duration of the completion of the projects is one year while two years is for the maintenance of the project.
Giving the breaking down of the project, she explained that, the 154 kilometre dredging from Warri to Bifurcation of Farcados and River Num was awarded to Fung Tai (Nig) Limited at the cost of N4, 836,943,125, the 116 kilometre Bifurcation of Farcados and River Num to Onitsha, Anambra State, awarded to Dredging Int. limited in the sum of N3, 889,174,896.
Others include the dredging of the 118-kilometre Onitsha to Ida in Kogi State which was awarded to Van Oord (Nig) Ltd at the cost of N9, 869,504,700, the 108 kilometre Ida to Jamata also awarded to Van Oord at N12, 545,469,550 and the 76 kilometre Jamata to Baro awarded to Williams Llyods Tech. Co. at the cost of N3, 665,261,250.
The Consultants who got the design contracts include, Royal Haskoning, N156, 274, 609, 06, Jayuda Int. Ltd, N126, 846, 395,76, Dredging & Marine Consultants Ltd., N312, 535,645,95, Enplan Group, N395, 626,292,59 and Aims Consultants Ltd with N119, 939,886,87 respectively.
Speaking before the agreement signing ceremony, the Minister noted that, the dredging of the River Niger, which is commencing after 25 years in pipeline, is very critical to the economy of Nigeria if actually we have brought into been the dredging of the lower River Niger for obvious economic reasons".
She noted, "for the National Inland Waterways and in deed for the entire economy of this nation, it would open up a completely new realm of possibilities, in terms of inland waterways and in terms of navigability and transportation and commerce and industry in the areas that it will affect along the lower River Niger".
"And as we all know, this is an area of over 500 kilometres, that affect many, many communities that live and work along that crossway".
"It is actually a momentous occasion for all those along that crossway, but also for the economy of the Nigeria, to think that at last, we will be able to provide, not only the navigability that were required but so much to the communities in that area and the nation as a whole".
In addition to that, it will take hopefully, a lot of the heavy tonnage that we experienced right now in our major expressways".
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