Vanguard (Lagos)
Peter Duru
28 October 2009
State Government has decried the attitude of various contractors handling road projects in the state, warning that it would not hesitate to wield the big stick on contractors who deliberately frustrate government's infrastructural development efforts.
This warning was handed down by the new Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Dr. Eugene Aliegba during his maiden meeting with contractors, consultants and government engineers in Makurdi.
Aliegba regretted that despite government unwavering commitments to its contractual obligations, some of the contracted firms have completely failed to deliver their own part of the bargain.
The Commissioner also registered the government's resentment over what he described as the slow pace of work on some of the ongoing road projects in the state despite government's huge financial commitments on the affected projects.
He further decried the situation where contractors wilfully move out of contract sites for no justifiable reasons, directing that all firms handling government pro-jects should step up work on their jobs as soon as the rains subside.
Aliegba, who particularly directed the contractor handling the Otukpo-Utonkon-Igumale roads to immediately make it motorable, warned that the directive should be carried out. He regretted that the firm has failed in the past to obey government's directives on the said project even when the Governor himself gave the order.
He urged all firms handling government infrastructural projects to brace up to the demands of their contracts, assuring that government would continue to meet its financial obligations to the firms.
Responding on behalf of the contractors, the Project Engineer of Hajaig Construction, Engr. Stephen Akange assured the government of the commitment of firms to their contractual obligations.
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The issue of rouge contractors eloping with government money especially mobilization fees is an old one It is one ugly side of the nations culture of corruption. Every Nigerian leader, from Federal officials to State governmnets is aware of this problem. What the world want to know is what state and federal authorities awarding these contracts have in place as an effective mechanism to stop the re-occurence. It is absolutely possible to contain this crime by making little effort to knit security strings arround individual contractors as dis-incentive to steal the peoles money.
Some of my friends doing contracts in Nigeria tell me horrible stories about what they do to win a contract if and when there is bidding. The kick back margin in some casses errode contrators ability to proceed with completion of such contracts. This mean that failure to deliver is already built in the contract before it is awarded. I wish that state executives and Federal authorities in Nigeria should be honest to themselves and to those who continue to elect them by using available resources to stop the endless bleeding of public funds with impunity.
Dr Eugene Aliegba, shut up and serve with honesty. You have all the tools to deal with this virus . This is the job you're supposed to do with dispatch if you 're not part of the problem.