…..as FG Terminates Contracts of Non Performing Local Contractors
Once again the dualisation of the Obajana- Benin- City Road which was first awarded in 2012 has run into a hitch as the Federal Ministry of Works has terminated contract numbers 6136, 6137 and 6138 with Mothercat Ltd, Dantata & Sawoe Construction Ltd and RCC Ltd respectively.
The projects affected by this termination are the dualization of Obajana – Benin road, section II (Okene – Auchi) in Kogi/Edo State; the dualization of Obajana – Benin road, section III (Auchi – Ehor) in Edo State and the dualization of Obajana – Benin road section IV (Ehor – Benin) in Edo State.
The termination of the said contracts became necessary in view of the inordinate delay of the affected companies in job performance and their failure, neglect and or refusal to fulfil their contractual obligations as required by the Standard Conditions of Contract and this has affected the timely completion of the projects and thus resulted in the expiration of the contracts by effluxion of time.
The projects which were awarded on 3rd December 2012 were advertently abandoned by the contractors and no genuine commitment or good faith was shown towards executing the projects after accepting the considerations offered by the Federal Government and thereby exposing the road users to untold hardship due to the deplorable condition of the projects.
The Honourable Minister has therefore directed the engineers in charge to take necessary steps to enter upon both the site and the works and take the same over from the affected companies.
He further directs the engineers concerned to, upon doing the needful, arrange with the affected companies for a joint measurement of work so far done by the said companies preparatory to taking over the sites from the said companies, and this directive is without prejudice to the exercise of other rights of Federal Government under the contract.
The Minister also warned that the Federal Ministry of Works under his watch will not condone acts of unseriousness and sabotage by contractors whose plan is to become a clog in the wheel of progress of the Renewed Hope administration which is determined to change the ugly narrative of Nigeria’s road infrastructure. He further warns that going forward, the government will not hesitate in terminating all projects that are funded but are non-performing.
It is to be noted that the completion of the road was planned by the All Progressives Congress ( APC) controlled Federal Government to boost the campaign strategy of the party in its determination to win in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo State scheduled for September 2024.
This intention was clearly expressed at a meeting the Minister had with the contractors on 21st March, 2024 at which the former Chairman of the party Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the party’ candidate in the forthcoming elections Senator Monday Okpebhilo and a few other party stalwarts were present.
To be sure the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has been in a running battle with contractors over their poor attitude to work, intentional delay to position for endless variation of costs, shoddy performance, outright contempt for set timetables and a general tendency to undermine the federal government’s efforts aimed at delivering a much better road network across the country.