The Edo State Assets Verification Committee has said that it will be recommending to the State Government the revocation of the road contract awarded to Nosba Nigeria Limited for alleged abandonment.

Nosba Construction Company was awarded a 5.52-kilometre road project at the upper Ekenwa road for the sum of N8 billion by the Godwin Obaseki administration and the sum of N2 billion has been paid as mobilization fees.

Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon, the Chairman of the physical, Assets and infrastructure sub-committee of the committee gave the hints while expressing concerns about the non-performance of the contractor during the inspection of road projects in the locality.

Obahiagbon accompanied by other members of the subcommittee which include Prince Kassim Afegbua, Engr Abass Braimah, Pharm (Mrs) Kenny Okojie and Engr Frederick Unopah while frowning at the attitude of the contractor to the contract awarded to it alleged that the works done so far was zero per cent.

He said that as a result of the zero per cent recorded the subcommittee would make a recommendation to the main committee on the effect that the contract awarded to the company be revoked.

According to him, of interest here is that whereas this road project of 5.52 kilometres was awarded to NOSBA Nigeria Limited for about N8 billion, Edo citizens should know that this contractor has been mobilized with the sum of N2 billion.

“And the progress of works so far done by the contractor is zero per cent. We intend to persuade the full house of the committee that the contract awarded to the construction company be recommended to the State government for revocation” he said.

The committee also frowned at the slow pace of work by Stefanutti Stocks Wapel Limited, the contractor handling the about 9.9 kilometres of Owina-Evbuotubu-Children Medical, Erunmwunse-Okpe roads.

Obahiagbon, who said the contract for the construction of the roads and stormwater drainage was awarded at about N19 billion added that despite the payment of mobilization fees of N5 billion, the contractor has not recorded 25 per cent of the job.

He said the company only achieved 12 per cent as against the 25 per cent that the N5 billion was supposed to cover.

“This is a major contract of about N19 billion. It cut across Oredo and Egor Local Government Areas.
Fundamentally about N5billion have been paid to the contractor as mobilization fee which is about 25 percent of the work they are supposed to do.

“But from the document avail us by the Ministry of Works what we are seeing here is about 12 per cent of work done.

“By this, we are not satisfied with the quantum of work that has been done so far, which is 12 per cent as given to us by the Ministry of Works compared to the 25 per cent in which the contractor has been mobilized.

“That means we will be calling on the contractor to ensure that they do this work to the extent of the mobilization they have been paid which is 25 per cent of the total work they are supposed to have done.

“They really have to do that before they are qualified to ask for more funding from the state government”, he added.

He also added that the committee would carry out a proper measurement of the project to ascertain that it was actually 9.9 kilometres.

“This is our first visit and we will pay another visit here because we even want to be sure that the over 9 kilometres for which this contract was awarded really up to that kilometres.

“So, we will try as much as possible to do a proper measurement of the contract scope to be really sure that the people of Edo State are not short-changed by the measurements that have been quoted for and approved.

“We also want to further ascertain in our subsequent visitation to ensure that the scope of works in terms of measurements have not done a bad deal and that the peoples of the state have not been given a short end of the stick to hold” , he stated.

At the reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka road, phases 1a and 1b awarded to Raycon Nigeria Limited, the committee also frowned at the presence of potholes on the road even when it had not been completed.

The committee directed the construction firm to fix them before going on Christmas break.