Friday, November 22

Special Interview: “We are neither Slow nor Timid” – Works Minister Mike Onolimemen

FOR the most part of the last two decades, Nigeria’s infrastructures, especially the public ones, became extremely decadent. Roads and public structures were poorly maintained. And where given attention at all, was an excuse for protectionism and cronyism.

At a recent encounter in October 2012 in Washington D.C., the country’s new breed helmsman for works, architect Mike Onolimemen rejected the notions of being too slow and timid in firing non-performing concessioneers. Onolimene has since announced the revocation of the contract with a key construction mediocre company, Bicourtney.

The Minister, flanked by Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Prof. Ade Adefuye, in this interview, told journalists, which included our Editor, Oladimeji Abitogun that the country is serious about restoring its public infrastructures and welcomes private investors. Excerpts of the interview are provided:

We just want you to brief us on the conference you are holding here in the US and what has been the response of investors because we know that works ministry is very critical in Nigeria, the roads are bad, everybody is complaining. Essentially we want to know what you have achieved.

Well, the conference is not just about works, it’s about the infrastructural sector in our country. You will recall that from the outset of this administration, Mr. President had been very clear about his objective. In the life of his administration, he intends to transform Nigeria so he came up with transformation agenda which he said was anchored on the vision 20:20:20 and he realized that the lofty objectives of the transformation agenda and vision 20:20:20 to elevate Nigeria to be among the first twenty economies in the world cannot be achieved if the requisite infrastructure that is required to drive economic growth is not in place. Everyone knows that government is unable to meet with the infrastructure needs of our country and what   that suggest is that we need to mobilize private sector funds for infrastructure development, and we begin just that but we just thought the time had come for use to look out to the American society and showcase what we have in our country in order to attract foreign investors from this part of the world to show keen interest not just in our oil and gas sector but in the real sector of the economy of which infrastructure is a common denominator and that is why we are here. So at the end of the day we expect to see more American companies getting more interested in developing and investing in infrastructure development in our country.

 

Sir, I noticed that there has been a slow start on your part concerning rehabilitation of critical roads in Nigeria and other public works. Do you have a blueprint at all? And why are you so slow. Lastly, same question, with due respect, it looks like there is a bit of timidity on your part in taking on powerful interest like bicourtney and other people that would promise to rehabilitate truth and would not do anything. What are you going to do for us?

Well, first and foremost I am surprised about this law because everyone who lives in Nigeria knew the state of Nigerian roads a year ago and they also know the state as of today. But in our country, we quickly forget the past. When I came in, there was virtually no road that was motorable in Nigeria. It could very well take you two days to travel from Benin to Lagos. But today it’s no longer like that. I mean at most you do that journey in 41/2 hours. So certainly, that cannot be the achievement of a slow administration that is that. Then secondly, you are also aware that there are major alignments in our country that were virtually abandoned. Typical example is the Onitsha-Owerri road but today, it is completed. Again, that is not an achievement of a slow administration. We may not be good noise maker but our work is speaking for us. So the issue of being slow does not arise. As an administration we have a blueprint and our blueprint is simple. We are determined to link the siege in political zones in our country with dualism and of course also ensure that most of our brand field projects are maintained and put in good motorable condition and we’ve set out a panel doing that in a most civilized manner. On the issue of bicourtney you talked about, we are not in the military regime. This is a regime that obeys laws and stick to rules. Lagos-Ibadan express way was properly concessioned to bicourtney in 2009, I wasn’t in government then, if it was concessioned in 2009 and nothing happened up to 2011 when I took over, you won’t blame that on me but as an administration we are very determined to ensure that Lagos – Ibadan expressway is completed and what we have done, decidedly we have engaged bicourtney and the engagement is ongoing and I’m sure we are getting to the end of that engagement and it is not about based law, it is about following rules and that concession is guided by agreement and you cannot go outside that agreement to resolve the problems of that concession so that is all I can say about that.

 

Sir, I want to ask a question. It has to do with my state, if you are travelling in between Lagos – Ore road, there is a very bad portion along that area sir, and when the Governor of Ondo State was being asked by some pressmen why he did not manage the road because it is a death trap he said he will not be able to do that because if he did, the Federal Government will not make any reimbursement.

Ore – Akure is not on that alignment. Anyway, usually we have our guidelines for state government to intervene on Federal roads. All the state government are aware of the guideline, any state government that links with that guideline, we cooperate with them, we collaborate with them. On Benin – Ore – Sagamu road, there is a subsisting Federal Government contract on that road. The first two sections on that, both of them are nearing completion, infact they should be completed within the next three months. The outstanding section has just been awarded. So on any alignment where we have subsisting contract, certainly state government cannot intervene because the Federal Government is working but on alignments where you don’t have subsisting contracts, there is a lay down condition for state government to intervene and once they go through that guideline, they are approved and reimbursement, whenever it is due, is paid to them. So that is the rule. For instance, let me draw an analogy because recently, there was a very serious misinformation in the media that Imo state government wants to give roads for free for the Federal Government, the ministry is inhibiting them, nothing like that had happen. The particular state government that said that was very economical with the truth. That particular state government had written to say they want to go into partnership with the private sector company to do a road and toll it I mean. The issue of concensioning of road projects, government is quite clear on it. The rules are quite clear. The infrastructure consectual regulatory commission act is quite clear. You can’t go outside that Act to concession a federal road because the road is already an asset, a federal asset. It’s like you having a house, without your knowledge a tenant says he has renovated your house for so much billions of naira and he wants you to pay. No you must be part and parcel of all the processes leading to that regulation and that is what we are saying. Infact a number of state government have requested intervention on our road infact anyone that meets with the guideline will always approve saying. And even for that particular state government that peddled that misinformation into the media, he has soon complied with the guideline and we have just approved that he intervene and he will be reimbursed at the appropriate time when the road is finished so we must learn to stick to the rules. It’s a part of rules and guidelines.

 

So what are the guidelines that state governors need to follow before they can get to the works?

Number 1 the governors must express interest through Mr. President and Mr. President will refer the matter to the Ministry of works to check for compliance and one of those guidelines is that the procurement process for that particular road must follow the public procurement act. That is to promote transparency and accountability. And the specification must be in tandem with the federal ministry of works standard in terms of desire and specification for the construction and the bid must be competitive, open and transparent and whoever emerges as the most competitive bid wins that particular contract. It is as simple as that. So what we are saying is that we must comply with these guidelines and if we do, we have no problem, but if we don’t, we have a problem with that because the federal government has decided to do that so that through open competitive bids, government can get value for money. The era of sourcing road contract through one firm is over because that obviously lead to collusion and this is an era we are talking about transparency and accountability and certainly we will not allow that.

Thank you so much. So the era of sourcing road contract is over? Can you explain further on that?

I just reinforce the public procurement Act provision and that is what it says. You must advertise the contract you want to procure, people must express interest, they go through the process and they must cooperate with the project. There were days in the country, there were times in the country where you can walk into my office and walk out with the contract letter. Those days are gone and they are gone forever.

 

Ambassador Adefuye, we don’t know if you have anything to say to wrap up this interview?

No. All I just want to say is that, like we at the embassy of Nigeria where we give food to the ministers that have been here. For the first time we are having six ministers, infact seven ministries being represented for infrastructure and from what I’ve learnt from the sounds which I perceived since morning, it’s been a very successful exercise, none of the companies I came to exhibit have told me about the usual contacts they have made and even before Johnny Carson left after his speech, he did tell me that within the next 2 or 3 months, he’s going to get together a group of some of the leading companies who came here today and who have expressed interest and would lead a delegation to Nigeria for further negotiations on how they can invest in Nigeria’s infrastructure. It’s similar to what he did on power and so the point being made that it’s not a gamble. We make a very concrete visible conclusion to Nigeria’s transformation agenda and for that we thank all the ministers who have been here. We’ve just gone about half way, by the end of the day tomorrow, we would have achieved a lot in attracting foreign investments to Nigeria’s infrastructure.      

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