Tunji Adedeji
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma ,again warned contractors awarded contract by his predecessor that his administration would no longer tolerate a situation where contractors gets contracts and refused to execute them urging contractors handling on-going projects to expedite action to ensure their early completion or risk losing their contract.
Uzodimma who spoke early on Monday during an on the spot assessment of the roads under construction in the State, stressed that his government cannot be held to ransom by contractors who are bent on sabotaging his efforts by abandoning contracts awarded to them by the previous government.
According to a release signed by Mr Oguwike Nwachuku, Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the governor,”I am going to set up a task force that will revisit all these roads to determine the contractors that are serious and the ones that are not serious. We will terminate the contracts of the unserious ones and re-award them to serious contractors. ”
He said “It is clear to me that some of these contractors are either not capable or up to something. Sooner than later, the rains will start and the roads are still lying like that. I am beginning to see them as sabotaging my government”.
Expressing dismay over the lackadaisical attitude of the contractor handling Assumpta Roundabout/Port Harcourt Road axis, Governor Uzodimma pointed out that the Assumpta Road is a critical road to the state because of its economic importance. “It has been closed for months without corresponding work going on there; this must not be left to continue”.
He directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works to terminate the contract and re-award it to a more serious contractor who can fix the road before the raining season starts.
It will recalled that Governor Uzodimma had earlier given 72 hours ultimatum to contractors who left their sites to return or risk the contracts terminated, and the mobilization fees paid to them refunded. This ultimatum had since elapsed.
