Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi has given the contractors handling the federal government’s 260 emergency projects a deadline of three months to deliver as required by the Standard Conditions of Contract or face termination.
The ultimatum was issued during a meeting of the management
of the Federal Ministry of Works with the contractors handling the various
projects and the Federal Controllers of Works held at the Ministry’s
headquarters on Monday.
The Renewed Hope emergency road projects were appropriated
in the 2023 Supplementary Budget with the intention to bring immediate
intervention on the completely failed parts of critical federal roads
nationwide.
The Minister listed about 37 contractors who have achieved little or no milestone in the project delivery since the contracts were awarded and warned that such contractors must mobilize effectively to the site latest Wednesday 10th July, 2024, or face contract termination.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on media, Mr Uchenna Orji and made available to Newsmen.
He said, “if after the deadline for mobilization to the
site, any contractor fails to comply, the job shall be terminated by effluxion
of time as the contract is for a time limit of 3 months.
“Any contractor whose job has stayed for more than 3 months
without completion after the issuance of an award letter must seek and obtain
approval for extension of time from the Federal Ministry of Works.
“The defaulting contractors, most of whom are handling
emergency road projects in Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Abia, Anambra,
Imo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, and River States were warned that the
projects awarded to them must be delivered in three months time as no excuse of
security challenges or lack of mobilization funds would justify the sufferings
they are subjecting road users or shield them from being blacklisted as
constituting a clog in the wheel of progress.
“The people are suffering, the President is having sleepless
nights in his efforts to fix our road infrastructure to help our economy, and
people will be given jobs and they are telling us stories.
“There have been jobs awarded by this ministry in the past
and money paid, and the contractors would hold the money, and they would say
it’s a security problem.
“Didn’t you know about the security situation before you got
the job?”
He gave a marching order to the Federal Controllers of Works
to ensure proper supervision of projects in their states and be abreast with
the contract awarded, amount, date of award, timeline, review date, extension
of time, argumentation granted and whether the contractor is on site.
Umahi reiterated that mobilization funding under the
Standard Conditions of Contract was not a condition precedent for them to move
to the site but it is at the discretion of the Federal Ministry of Works and
can be made available only to contractors who can undertake through affidavit
of commitment to complete the job within three months of mobilization.
He stated, “Our new policy is that if you want mobilization
and we are happy to give you, you will abide by the conditions. One is that
there will be no review of any component of the mobilization given.
“Two, we will give you 30% and you will do 30% of work
before we can give you another money.
“So please, mobilization is not compulsory. Is that clear?
Again, emergency projects are not mobilized. The rule is that in emergency
projects, you will go and do it 100%, and then you submit your papers.
“We now pay you 80% and send your documents to BPP. When
they approve, we pay you the balance of 20%.”
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Yakubu Adam
Kofarmata, stated that the period had gone when contractors were taking the
country for granted and could afford to delay in job delivery for years after
collecting mobilization and would keep feeding on the VOP.
He charged contractors to brace up to the new spirit of
“Nigeria first,” introduced in the Federal Ministry of Works under the Renewed
Hope administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Honestly, we have a stake. It is about the Nigerian nation.
We don’t have any other country other than Nigeria.
“Believe me, we are pushing the Honorable Minister right now
to stop considering this VOP and augmentation, because, there is no reason,
after being given an award letter, you come and say you are waiting for payment
for six months.
“Please, let us consider the nation first. Once we put
Nigeria first, you see that things will move.”
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com