A people’s joy over a bridge project is about to become their worst nightmare yet, Onukogu Kanayo Juba writes
News that the Federal Government had awarded the contract for the construction of the bridge to pass from Bagana (Kogi State) to Guto (Nasarawa local government area, Nasarawa State) to Digital Toll Nigeria Limited on May 24, 2007, at the sum of N27bn, was greeted with great fanfare and jubilation by members of both communities. For them, it meant a lot. If they could not have access to very good roads and amenities, someone had remembered to provide them with a link to Nasarawa State, improve the economic and commercial activities around the area, and shorten the long and tedious journey to Abuja – which normally took seven hours, no thanks to the Lokoja traffic jam.
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In 2008, Digital Toll conceded the job to Lebanese-owned construction firm, NAIRDA.
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NAIRDA mobilised workers to the site and work got off in earnest. Piles were cast and piers were drilled in, and all the natives who came around to see the work get done imagined the gains of such a bridge when completed. They could not believe their good fortune: they thought work would be done with within four months. They were in for a huge surprise.
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Sometime in early 2009, the vigour cooled off and the work was suspended.
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When LEADERSHIP visited the construction site, in the company of other journalists, it was bereft of any major signs of a construction site. The project supervisor, NAIRDA, Igor Bobotchik confirmed that the work had been on hold for some time, but could not put his hands on any cause, besides a dearth of funds.
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“The contract was conceded to Digital Toll Ltd in 2007. They awarded the contract to us, NAIRDA, in 2008 and we commenced work.
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“The length of the bridge is 30-km bridge and it is meant to pass through Oweta to Bagana, all in Kogi State, and Guto to Loko in Nasarawa State over the River Benue. Now, when you get to Loko, you are automatically closer to Abuja. Instead passing through Lokoja and spending 5 or more hours, the bridge will reduce the journey from Bagana to Abuja to 90km, which is 1hour, 30 minutes free of traffic. From Bagana to Ankpa is the same distance and time. This route will bring Kogi, Benue and Nasarawa states closer to Enugu, because for those going to the east, it cuts out the Makurdi and Lokoja option.”
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Bobotchik further explained the nature of the project. “It is a private-public-partnership (PPP) project: the state governments (Kogi and Nasarawa) were supposed to make available 20 percent, the Federal Government 20 per cent, and the private sector (in this case, Digital Toll Ltd) 60 per cent of the N27bn. The project looked so clear cut in the beginning, but today, we have a situation: we cannot continue work, because we stopped getting the money sometime in 2009. We have drilled piers and cast piles with the little availed us, and 40 to 50 per cent of the project has been done, but for about a year now we have been waiting for money to continue.”
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Did the concessionaire or the Federal Government come forth to explain why the funds were stuck?
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“From what I heard, the problem is from the private firm, because the money we used for the little we have done came from the Federal and state governments. The private firm has not brought a dime of the 60 per cent, but we do not know the real cause – we are just contractors who depend on our concessionaires.”
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Does Bobotchik’s explanation reflect the thoughts of the community? One of the Bagana community leaders, Mamman Zakary, was of the opinion that someone had plans to frustrate all efforts to improve the commerce of both communities by politicising the project.
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“You see, when the work started, we were all happy. But sometime in 2011, everything came to a halt. Do they want to tell us that this is how far the money from the Federal and state governments can take this project? It is bad if someone is using this project for politics. See, do you know the implications of this project, when completed?”
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He had some advice for the Federal Government, whom he considered to be “dragging their feet over this kind of project”. He did not spare the contractors, NAIRDA.
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“They can either put pressure on the mother company (Digital Toll Ltd) or revoke the contract and change the contractor. We are tired of NAIRDA, Digital Tours and the whole arrangement. Look, they did not come here by magic; they were offered the contract, and therefore, are the only party we can hold responsible.”
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A member of the community who spoke to LEADERSHIP, and refused to give his name, agreed with Mamman. He queried the rationale behind awarding a contract and abandoning it mid-way.
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“If the government is honest to itself, why should it award a contract and look away? This contract should have been followed up, knowing the way some of these private firms abandon their communal responsibilities. If the state and Federal governments have made their percentages available, why can’t this bridge be built once for all? Why them no go build this bridge?”
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The Primary Chief of the Agatu Chiefdom in Nasarawa local government area, whose community the bridge was meant to pass through, Alhaji Ahmed Kwanaki Guto, had a more objective.
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“There is no other issue here beyond the money, at least to the best of my knowledge. I met with my former governor, Alhaji Akwe Doma about this bridge and he told me that he had already paid the sum of N1bn to Digital Toll as originally agreed, and I know he did not lie to me, because whenever I attended the state’s traditional council meetings, he would ask me, ‘How is work going?’ I always came here by canoe every week to see the work, because my palace is across the river, about 30 minutes away. So, after my visit, whenever the governor asked how work was going, I would say ‘fine’.
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“In the beginning, the Chinese representatives of Digital Toll approached me and requested that I build a five-bedroom flat for them in the village, so that they could operate from there. I completed it within two months to ensure progress, but after then I have not heard from them. The problem is money, but if there is any other arrangement between NAIRDA and Digital, I am not aware.”
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Guto explained that though he had not told the present governor of his state, he was considering his options.
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“I have not talked to Governor Al Makura about this, because he has not settled into looking into matters in the state. I may approach him when all is done with, but not before.”
The District Head of Bagana and the Onu of Bagana, HRH Alhaji Ali Haruna, had no opinion different from those aired by members of his community.
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“I cannot say something different from what my people have said; we are not satisfied, rather, we are very disappointed that a project of two years has taken almost three years, yet it is still incomplete. If revoking the contract will make any sense, the government must not hesitate to do so and offer it to a more serious-minded company.
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“There are questions here; is the money the government has provided being properly managed? It is true that NAIRDA cannot work unless they are re-mobilised, but they have not really showed us any form of commitment or sympathised with us: they have been packing up their equipment and machines – whether they belong to them or not – and are leaving.”
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Has the community sought to save the situation by writing a petition to the government? Haruna did not mince words:
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“We can do that, but we all can’t leave here for Aso Villa. We have lawmakers who are supposed to interact with us and know what we want, but where can we see them? Our Senator is Barr. Emmanuel Ocheja Dangana (from Idah, very far from here), our representative in the House of Representatives is Hon. Ali Akuh, and as a? first-timer in the Senate, he needs facts and his wit around him before he can talk about a Federal project like this . I do not know a thing about our representative in the state house of assembly.”
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When contacted, the Director of Highway Bridges, Federal Ministry of Works, Eng. Avinchi I., said that recently, the Federal Government has failed in its many attempts to terminate contracts awarded to Digital Toll, because of court injunctions which they (Digital Tours) succeed in getting.
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“When in 2009 the Federal Government threatened to terminate the contract of the concessioner on the grounds of breach of contract, Digital Toll went to court to stop the action. This has made it difficult to either re-award the contract to another concessionaire or increase the equity contribution of government in the project.
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“There have been insinuations or misrepresentations that the Federal Government abandoned the Bagana-Guto project for another that will link Kogi to Benue and the South-east, which incidentally is just 20 kilometers away, but this is not true, as? it is wholly a federal road project awarded at about the same time the Bagana-Guto project was awarded. Like the 90-kilometer Bagana-Guto road, the other road project currently under construction, when completed will also reduce pressure on the Abuja-Lokoja road and achieve shorter distance to the Southern part of the country too,” Avinchi said.
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The reason for the suspension of the project has remained unclear and left all the parties guessing(except Digital Toll), but one thing is clear: the communities want the government to either revoke the contract or compel the concessionaires to see it to a logical conclusion. They scarcely want to know: they want their bridge back on track.
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This example is just one of many others which question the integrity and commitment of concessionaires in the public-private-partnership scheme which is expected to encourage accountability, transparency and efficiency.