- Fed Govt ‘Pays Contractors N2.7 Trillion’
The Federal Government has paid N2.7 trillion owed various contractors since coming into office in 2015, Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing Suleiman Zarma has said.
The minister spoke during a stop-over to inspect the reconstruction and asphalt overlay of the the 98.414 km Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Ajibandele-Shagamu Dual Carriageway, Phase IV. He said N47 billion went to road contractors.
Zarma said: “These monies were paid, not for jobs awarded by the present government, but government did so believing that the contracts were awarded to benefit Nigerians,”saying that the administration was resolute in paying contractors for jobs executed.
Zarma, however, warned that the Federal Government would not condone sub-standard work, adding that the Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Shagamu being handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), was very strategic.
Zarma said the road is part of the International Trans- African Highway connecting Lagos to the Port of Mombasa in Kenya through Enugu in Nigeria and Doula in Cameroon.
He also inspected the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion work on the 83.40 kms Lagos-Ibadan Dual Carriageway Section 1.
He commended the contractor, RCC, and urged the firm to redouble efforts to meet the July 3, 2018, completion deadline.
Zarma also inspected the construction of the 1.59km Rigid Pavement Access Road to NNPC Depot in Mosimi along Ikorodu-Shagamu Road.
He expressed displeasure that Borini Prono and Co Nig Ltd., the contractor, which had over 30 years experience in Nigeria and with outstanding jobs, could not deliver the road on schedule.
The minister said issues delaying the completion of the job would be speedily reviewed to enable the contractor to fully mobilise to site and complete the project this year.
He assured contractors handling various federal projects in the South-West geopolitical zone that the Federal Government would pay for contracts executed.
He said the relationship between the contractors and the Federal Government had evolved over the years and as such, they were not expected to stall work due to funding delay.
The access road is very important to petrol tanker drivers as it will ease the evacuation of products from the NNPC Depot.
The News Agency of Nigeria said the contract was awarded in December 2014 with a completion date of January 2016, stating that contractors have identified delay in funding as one of the major challenges delaying the project execution.
