Concrete Roads: I Won’t Accept Surface Dressing – Umahi Issues New Order To Contractors

Road contractors working with the federal government have been told to use concrete for road shoulders across the country, Naija News has learned.

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, in a statement issued by the Director (Information), Press & Public Relations Unit, Federal Ministry of Works, Lere-Adams Blessing said the government won’t compromise on the durability of road shoulders, hence he won’t accept road shoulders with surface dressing.

Umahi, since assuming office, has continued to advocate for concrete roads instead of asphalt, arguing that they are more durable.

The minister explained that it’s not compulsory for all ongoing projects to switch to concrete pavement, but the Ministry under his watch would only accept concrete road shoulders instead of asphalt.

He submitted, “Nobody is insisting that all ongoing jobs will be on concrete, but anyone who chooses to continue with asphalt can do so under the following conditions: no shoulder on surface dressing, alternative design on shoulder; all asphalt pavement roads must have concrete shoulders.”

Speaking further, Umahi reiterated that the mission of the administration was to improve the road infrastructure across the nation for the benefit of all.

“I am appealing to our consciences to see ourselves as people going in the same direction and pursuing the same agenda for the betterment of all.

”Everyone, whether in the field or in the office, is working towards the same goal. The services in the office are complementary to the services on the site,” Umahi added.