By Ihechi Enyinnaya
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised alarm over what it claimed is the manifest padding of the cost for the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road at N797.23 billion, saying that it is a project racket “which has again exposed the multifaceted corruption in the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.”
According to a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary on Sunday, the approval of “a scandalous” N797.23 billion ($2.09bn) by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the 375-kilometre road, speaks volumes of the level of profligacy and corruption inherent in the administration.
The statement added that while the PDP has nothing against any genuine effort towards infrastructural development in the country and particularly the reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, the party, “and indeed, all well-meaning Nigerians, reject this clear attempt by the APC administration to hide under this desirable project to fleece our nation.”
The PDP invited Nigerians to note that by awarding the reconstruction of the 375-kilometre road for N797 billion, the APC Federal Government wants the nation to believe that it is spending N2.12 billion ($5.58 million) per kilometre of road.
The PDP maintained that “this is the height of corruption, recklessness and insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians.”
It added: “Nigerians can now see how the APC-led administration has been awarding projects at over-bloated costs, bulk of which are diverted to private purses of APC leaders and the cabal, making our roads the most expensive in Africa.
“Similar roads with the same length in kilometres and road architecture are being constructed at far cheaper costs in other countries across Africa.
“The PDP holds that awarding our roads at indefensible costs just to enrich APC leaders at the detriment of millions of other Nigerians is completely unacceptable.
“It is common knowledge that there are internationally recognized cost per kilometre recommended by many international organisations to which Nigeria belongs, but the APC administration had failed to subscribe to such template because of its proclivity for corruption.
“Furthermore, there are reports that under the APC, roads are being awarded to contractors before the structural designs are ready.
“Moreover, the concept of competitive bidding for contracts is being relegated thereby shutting out genuine contractors who could have delivered more qualitative jobs at realistic costs.”
The PDP cautioned the Buhari administration to desist from awarding contracts for projects at unrealistic and profligate costs, saying that it a situation that has “created a conduit pipe to corrupt APC leaders to siphon our common patrimony and subject Nigerians to excruciating hardship.”
The party also demanded that the Buhari administration should publish the detailed costs of all road awarded by it, showing payments for specifics, details of payments to contractors, the identity of the contractors as well ad parameters for disbarments.