The Edo State Assets Verification Committee is to recommend to the State Government the revocation of the road contract awarded to Nosba Nigeria Limited for alleged abandonment.
DAILY POST reports that the Nosba construction firm was awarded a
5.52 kilometre road project at the Upper Ekenwa road for the sum of N8 billion in which the sum of N2 billion had been paid as mobilization fees.
Patrick Obahiagbon, chairman of the Physical, Assets, and Infrastructure subcommittee of the committee gave the hints while expressing concerns about the non-performance of the contractor during the inspection of road projects in the locality.
Obahiagbon accompanied by other members of the subcommittee including Prince Kassim Afegbua, Engr Abass Braimah, Mrs Kenny Okojie, and Engr Frederick Unopah while frowning at the attitude of the contractor, said the work done so far was zero percent.
He said as a result of the findings, the subcommittee would make a recommendation to the main committee that the contract be revoked.
According to him, of interest here is that whereas this road project of 5.52 kilometres was awarded for about N8 billion, Edo citizens should know that this contractor has been mobilized with the sum of N2 billion.
“And the progress of works so far done by the contractor is zero percent. We intend to persuade the full house of the committee that the contract awarded to the construction company be recommended to the State government for revocation” he said.
The committee also frowned at the slow pace of work by Stefanutti Stocks Wapel Limited, the contractor handling the about 9.9 kilometres of Owina-Evbuotubu-Children Medical, Erunmwunse-Okpe roads.
Obahiagbon, who said the contract for the construction of the roads and stormwater drainage was awarded at about N19 billion, added that despite the payment of mobilization fees of N5 billion, the contractor has not recorded 25 percent of the job.
He said the company only achieved 12 percent as against the 25 percent that the N5 billion was supposed to cover.
“This is a major contract of about N19 billion. It cut across Oredo and Egor Local Government Areas.
Fundamentally about N5 billion have been paid to the contractor as mobilization fees which is about 25 percent of the work they are supposed to do.
“But from the document availed us by the Ministry of Works what we are seeing here is about 12 percent of work done.
“By this, we are not satisfied with the quantum of work that has been done so far, which is 12 percent as given to us by the Ministry of Works compared to the 25 percent in which the contractor has been mobilized.
“That means we will be calling on the contractor to ensure that they do this work to the extent of the mobilization they have been paid which is 25 percent of the total work they are supposed to have done.
“They have to do that before they are qualified to ask for more funding from the state government”, he added.
He also added that the committee would carry out a proper measurement of the project to ascertain that it was 9.9 kilometres.
“This is our first visit and we will pay another visit here because we even want to be sure that the over 9 kilometres for which this contract was awarded really up to that kilometres.
“So, we will try as much as possible to do a proper measurement of the contract scope to be sure that the people of Edo State are not short-changed by the measurements that have been quoted for and approved.
“We also want to further ascertain in our subsequent visitation to ensure that the scope of works in terms of measurements have not done a bad deal and that the peoples of the state have not been given a short end of the stick to hold”, he stated.
At the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka road, phase 1a and 1b awarded to Raycon Nigeria Limited, the committee also frowned at the presence of potholes on the road even when it had not been completed.
The committee directed the construction firm to fix them before going on Christmas break.
The Edo State Assets Verification Committee was set up by Governor Monday Okpebholo to ascertain the true status of the inherited state government-owned assets, completed and ongoing projects from the immediate past government of Godwin Obaseki.
Edo govt panel to recommend revocation of road contract over abandonment