The Senate Committee on Works, yesterday, queried zero implementation of 11 road contracts awarded by the Ministry of Works in some parts of the country despite the release of billions of naira as mobilisation fees to contractors.
Chairman of the Committee, Kabiru Gaya, told the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and officials of the ministry who appeared before the committee to defend their budget, that the act was unacceptable to Nigerians.
He, therefore, directed the ministry to feed the committee with details of the contracts awarded in 2015 and their status at a later date. He said: “Eleven contractors have collected mobilisation fees and there is zero implementation. Some collected N500 million and one of the contractors collected N1 billion.
For instance, in the case of dualisation of Otukpo township road, N1 billion was paid to the contractors. “Minister, you need to check that and give us details in the next meeting. There is no point giving a contractor mobilisation fee when he cannot perform.”
Gaya also frowned at the ministry’s 2016 budget proposal, where he observed that some roads in the country were given zero allocation, urging the minister to reconsider some of the roads in view of their link to major cities in the country.
He, however, said that the committee would work on the budget proposal to ensure that funds were properly and adequately allocated for critical projects to be judiciously implemented. “I appreciate your effort and concern, Hon. Minister, but we have to know what you are spending every year on the road and how to generate funds and see how we can achieve success,” he said.
Fashola, while responding to the queries, explained that not all the contractors who were mobilised had zero performance.
“It is important to take the assessment that the committee has made on mobilisation into context. In my document, contract performance is not zero. My understanding here is that going by the entire contract sum of N9.9 billion, by law, the contractors should get at least 15 per cent to move to site.”
He assured the committee that he would look into the matter and get back to the lawmakers.
Presenting the 2016 budget to the legislators, Fashola noted that the sum of N10 billion was budgeted for continuation of work on the Abuja-Lokoja Road. He also said the sum of N16 billion was earmarked for Kano-Maiduguri road, while the rehabilitation of Apapa-Oshodi road would gulp N5 billion, among others.
The minister said that the ministry had evolved a plan to implement road projects based on priorities of needs.
“The purpose of the plan is to first address economic routes so that a section can, at least, be completed. For 16 years, we have not finished the Lagos-Ibadan Road, so we want to work in one place at a time,” he said.
Fashola pointed out that the Second Niger Bridge was another important project that would be given priority because of its importance to the nation’s economy.
He further stated that his administration would strengthen the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA). Meanwhile, Fashola has accused the Budget Office of being responsible for some of the discrepancies in the budgets of some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
He said that he noticed that the budget prepared by the Budget Office was different from the one prepared by the Ministry of Works, noting that such was not good as it brought about conflict between the lawmakers and the ministries. – New Telegraph.
