Port Harcourt — An indigenous group, Khana Patriotic Stakeholders and Professional Forum (KPSPF) has called on the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara to revoke contracts awarded to some companies for the construction of roads in parts of Khana Local Government Area as abandoned projects.
Recalled that the governor during the inauguration of the reconstructed 10.89KM Aleto-Ogale-Ebubu-Eteo Road in Eleme, revealed that a huge debt burden was left behind for his administration to settle with several contractors who handled different projects for the immediate past administration.
The governor emphasised how baffling the debt owned by the contractors amounted to, given the public impression created of a clean balance sheet maintained with contractors.
Governor Fubara, who earlier visited Bori road projects in Khana, expressed displeasure over the abandonment of road projects and called on the contractor to return to the site.
Meanwhile, the group said the state government should take decisive action to complete the abandoned projects in Bori town and other communities in the LGA.
The group, which took a media tour of all the road projects and the Bori General Hospital in Bori, that are yet to be completed, said contractors had abandoned the projects after receiving over 80% payments.
Leader of KPSPF, Gani Topba, who commended the governor for his developmental strides in the state, urged him to quickly revoke the road projects and re-award the same to a capable contractor.
He said if the governor does not cancel the contract, the indigenous people will mobilise a protest at the government house to request that he cancels the contract. "We cannot be begging a contractor who signed a contract to deliver the same in six months. But this is one year the project is still uncompleted.
"Today, a professional from Khana Local Government came to inspect the government road projects that are in Bori so we can know the issues affecting the completion. Former Governor Nyesom Wike awarded this contract and he didn't release money. It is also in the record that the present governor released money for the project.
But from what we are seeing today, what they have done is not even up to N500,000,000. We are worried about this. The governor has asked the contractor to return to the site, but for one week now they have not returned. They only came here and dropped one of their equipment.
"So, we appeal that the governor should revoke the contract immediately and re-award it to a competent company that can deliver it so that Khana people can enjoy it. We cannot be waiting for a contractor that is not ready to deliver. They should revoke the contract and then recover the money already paid to the contractor. We won't wait".
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A medical practitioner and member of the group, Dr. Cyril Ounuh, lamented how the contract had abandoned the Gokana Street road construction, saying that, the road cut across the Council area to Yeghe community.
He said: "This street is one of the longest streets in Bori. This is the second time this road has suffered this kind of abandonment. We frown seriously at this.
"We want to sincerely thank the Governor for the level of mobilisation he has done to the contractors to ensure that roads are constructed. This means that the governor loves Ogoni, he loves Bori".
Speaking on the benefit of the roads, Ounuh said: "We don't want anybody to play politics with the development of Bori. If you are having internal problems you don't tell people to leave the site. His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, means well for the people."
