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Worried by the alarming rate at which roads constructed across the state are failing, Delta State Government has extended the retention period for road projects from one to two years.
The extension of the retention period is to enable government ensure quality road projects are delivered by contractors.
But this comes with an additional five percent retention fee, according to the Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, who briefed Government House reporters, yesterday at the end of the state executive council meeting.
Aniagwu said one year retention period was no longer enough for government to determine the quality of job done by contractors, hence, the approval to extend the period to two years.
“What that means is that we reasoned that within one year, we may not have been able to understand whether a contractor that constructed the road has been able to do a good job, so the road should be subjected to a minimum of two rainy seasons for us to understand the quality the contractor has brought to bear in executing it.
“So, at the end of the expiration of that one year of the two-year retention period, 50 percent of the five percent retention fee will be paid, leaving behind another 50 percent. After two years, once we have certified that you have done a good job, the remaining 50 percent of that retention fee will be paid to the contractor,” Aniagwu said.
He said government also approved the construction of eight technical colleges in the first phase of the 19 colleges to be constructed in the next four years.
Also approved, according to the commissioner, is the construction of storm drainage on Ogwashi-Uku/Ubulu-Uku/Ubulu-Unor road in Aniocha South Local Government Area to address the perennial erosion along that corridor.
