The House of Representatives Committee of Niger Delta Ministry queries the contractors building a skill acquisition centre at Iwuo Achang, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
This is issued by the Chairman of the Committee, Eugene Dibiagwu, on Wednesday in Abuja at the investigative hearing on the abandoned project.
Eugene Dibiagwu mentioned that lack of seriousness on the part of the contractors is one of the reasons the project is yet to be completed, “Even though 85 per cent of the contract sum had been paid.”
Eugene Dibiagwu said, “As a contractor that has been paid up to 85 percent, you were supposed to have completed that project but you know the reason you have not. We will not allow the project to die that way.
“We understand the situation we found ourselves in in the country economically regarding the cost of materials.
“We will engage the ministry of Niger Delta so that they will know whether to consider further valuation for your request for additional money.”
He said that a part of the fence built by the contractors has fallen down, stressing that the committee would investigate if the fence was substandard.
He asked the contractor to do everything possible to complete the project, he added that the committee would not join issues with the contractor until the project was completed.
The committee said that it would require an additional N2bn from the N4.2bn earlier quoted for the project if the skill acquisition center must work with all the necessary facilities to make it functional.
“We are looking at an additional N2bn which will bring the total cost of the project to N6.2bn having committed N4 2bn naira initially.
“And even if we commit N6.2bn, the centre will not still work considering what is left to be done. That centre cannot train one person even with N6.2bn.”
The committee had on November 23, 2023, deliberated on a motion titled “Need to complete the construction of the skill acquisition centre at Iwuo Achang, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.”
The committee had urged the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to ensure completion of the project within the 2024 fiscal year and mandated the Committee on Niger Delta Ministry to ensure compliance.
The Chairman of the Committee stated that the contract for the centre was awarded on March 15, 2010, by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to three companies.
The contractors included Stegis International Agency Nigeria Ltd, a civil construction building, and Enarosol Nigeria Ltd, a landscaping and perimeter fencing company,
The contractors efforts to defend their actions were unsuccessful as they were requested to appear with copies of the contract agreement, interim performance certificates, and any other relevant documents relating to the project.
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