Reps C’ttee queries Akwa Ibom contractors

The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Ministry has queried the contractors building a skill acquisition centre at Iwuo Achang, Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The Chairman of the Committee, Eugene Dibiagwu, issued the query on Wednesday in Abuja at the investigative hearing on the abandoned project.

According to him, the 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.”

He said, “As a contractor that has been paid up to 85 per cent, 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 lamented that a part of the fence built by the contractors had collapsed, stressing that the committee would investigate if the fence was substandard or not.

He, however, charged the contractor to do everything possible to complete the project, adding that the committee would not join issues with the contractor until the project was completed.

The committee said that if the skill acquisition centre must work with all the necessary facilities to make it functional, it would require an additional N2bn from the N4.2bn earlier quoted for the project.

“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 House 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 House 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.

However, 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.

He stated that the project had reached about 85 per cent completion rate but was abandoned due to an unexpected increase in the price of goods.

This, he said, left the property vandalized and in deplorable condition.

The contractors who appeared before the committee included Stegis International Agency Nigeria Ltd, a civil construction building, and Enarosol Nigeria Ltd, a landscaping and perimeter fencing company,

Efforts by the contractors 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.