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- Contractors giving ultimatum or risk revocation of contracts
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, has revisited all abandoned roads projects spread across the metropolitan state capital 11 years after as part of efforts to upgrade slums to urban centres to better the living condition of citizens of the state.
Mutfwang through the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Joshua Laven disclosed that any contractor who failed to go to site after payment of mobilisation fee will amount to sabotage and risk revocation of their contract.
Laven stated this during a tour at various abandoned projects site within the Jos-Bukuru metropolis and monitoring to ascertain the level of compliance by contractors back to their respective contracts sites.
“Inline with the directives of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang that all contractors handling projects in the state should go back to site and mobilisation fee were paid to them.
“We have gone round the various people’s centred projects, some started 11 years ago and was not continued by the last administration. Some awarded 7 years ago by the last administration but mobilisation fee was not made to contractor, allowing the contractor to deployed his money on site for over a year before receiving pieces of payment which taxes are also removed.
“You have seen the Utunku, Nunku, Abattoir road which was at it’s final level for citizens of the state to start using it but was left by the last administration and water washed away the gravels, asphalt, leading to erosion.
“If only this was completed, we won’t be here again! And this is going to cost government again, many of the abandoned projects are like that including those the last administration awarded.” He lamented
He reiterated that Governor Mutfwang is not interested on who are the contractors handling those projects, but is interested in getting the work done in the interest of Plateau people.
“The Governor has directed that all uncompleted projects must be completed because they’re people centred projects. I have seen P. W Nigeria Limited have gone to site, Jolex Construction Nigeria Limited is also deploying equipment to site, and so I expected Rick Rock Nigeria Limited to do same.
“We have overcome distractions and are ready for governance and we will not tolerate any act of sabotage. I gave you three days to go back to site while discussions on other variations due to current economic realities continue else you will invite revocation of the contract on yourself.” He charged the contractors
Earlier on, Engr. Mike Ajiboye while speaking on behalf of P.W Nigeria Limited assured that the Utunku, Nunku, Abattoir road with a 9 span fly over bridge will be ready in no distance time as major work were already executed since it’s commencement.
“We are so happy to be back to site on the Plateau. We are here to start work because we have received the mobilization fee as promised by the Governor and that is why you can see that we have mobilised fully back to site.
“The remaining work here will not take us up to 6 months again, before six months, people will start using this road.” He assured the people
The Managing Director (MD) of Jolex Construction Nigeria Limited Mr John Chinedu said the earlier duration as contained in the contract agreement is 12 months but a lot has been done already.
“The project is a 6.9 kilometre awarded in 2017 at the cost of N1.8 billion and there was no advanced payment but we went to site. Before we got our advanced payment it was after one year and the payment was in four instalment, that was one of our greatest challenges.
“We initially have 12 months calendar year agreement, but we have done 45% to 50% of the job. I am sure that the remaining work won’t take us 12 months again to complete the work.”
Other projects sites visited consist of the abandoned rehabilitation of 24.1 kilometre road networks within Bukuru Jos South handled by P. W Nigeria Limited. The Ama streets, Mallam Kure, Fatima road networks handled by Wakema Construction Nigeria Limited.
Also is the construction of Main Market road, Dan Serina street, Sarki street, Yan Shanu, St. Micheal Catholic Church handled by China Zhouhao Nigeria Limited as well as the construction of roads in Angwan Rogo with a spur linking Ali Kazaure handled by Latokem construction limited and bridge, respectively.
