…face termination
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal Government has given about 37 contractors handling its 260 emergency road projects across the country three months to deliver, threatening failure to meet the deadline will result in contract termination.
Most of the defaulting contractors are handling emergency road projects in Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Abia, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States.
It also reiterated it was not obligatory to pay mobilisation fees to contractors for emergency road projects.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated these on Monday during a meeting with the contractors in his office.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, the Minister explained that this action became necessary because the Renewed Hope emergency road projects were funded through the 2023 Supplementary Budget to provide immediate intervention on critical, completely failed Federal roads nationwide.
Noting that the goal was to restore the serviceability of these roads, the Minister complained that the 37 contractors have made little to no progress since being awarded the contracts while warning that they must mobilize effectively to the site by Wednesday, July 10, 2024, or face contract termination.
“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 award letter must seek and obtain approval for extension of time from the Federal Ministry of Works,” he said.
The Minister warned the defaulting contractors that the projects awarded to them must be delivered within three months, adding that no excuse, including security challenges or lack of mobilization funds, will justify the delays causing road users to suffer.
He asserted that contractors that failed to meet the deadline will be blacklisted for hindering the Renewed Hope administration’s efforts to revolutionize road infrastructure for Nigeria’s economic prosperity.
He said: “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?”
Regarding mobilization fees, the Minister stated that under the Standard Conditions of Contract, mobilization funding is not a prerequisite for contractors to begin work on-site.
According to him, it is at the Ministry’s discretion and will only be provided to contractors who commit, through an affidavit, to complete the job within three months of mobilization.
“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 the 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%,” he noted.
The Minister also directed the Federal Controllers of Works to ensure proper supervision of projects in their sites 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.