Raymond Gukas
15 October 2008
Jos — JUDICIAL Commission of Inquiry, investigating the contracts awarded by the last administration in Plateau State, was stunned on Monday when it was told that a kilometer of road scheduled for construction would cost a whopping sum of N37.7 million.
The commission learnt about this development when the former Assistant Director, Engineering Services of Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), Mr. Ayuba Dalyop appeared before it, revealing the terms of contract entered into with the previous administration by Mould Nigeria Limited. According to Mr. Dalyop, the contract for the construction of the 3.57 kilometer road was earmarked for over N141m.
He told the Commission, while testifying before it that the amount was justified in view of the fact that the terrain as well as the inclusion of culverts and drainages is also part of the work to be done on the Bukuru township road loop one.
The former Assistant Director who is currently the Director of Engineering Services in the state Ministry of Urban Development, said the entire contract approved for Mould was to the tune of N1.8 billion for Jos and Bukuru road projects.
Though the contractor was paid a mobilisation fee of N200 million, the work so far done was almost 16 per cent completed because he mobilised to site without the fee in the first instance.
With the N200m mobilisation fee, the contractor, he confirmed went ahead to inject additional N94.2 million, thereby bringing the total amount so far expended on the various road projects to N294.2 million, including the mobilisation fee paid.
Though the project has been abandoned because the contactor was not paid his contract sum, he said, the state owed Moulds over N 94m including Value Added Tax (VAT).
Among some of the roads touched by the contractor, he explained were the 8.5km in part of Bukuru town with contract sum of N285.8m, but N189.9m job was done; another 1.20km for N68.5m with N1.435m job done.
Also, he disclosed that a 2km road over-lay and drainage work estimated for N103.4 has N42.7 million work done all of which are contained in a certified payment certificate issued to the board by the contractor.
The firm is expected to appear to testify on the matter.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
