NAN-H-12
Road
By Dianabasi Effiong
Ogoja (Cross River) Nov. 15, 2016 (NAN) The contracting firm handling the rehabilitation of dilapidated portions of Ogoja-Abuochichie Federal road in Cross River has been directed to complete the project without further delays.
The Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Mr Victor Muruako, gave the directive on Tuesday in Ogoja when he led a Verification Team of the Commission on tour of the project.
Muruako also directed that the contracting firm should deploy more hands and equipment to ensure accelerated completion of the project to meet its 2018 deadline.
He said there was no justification for further delay of work on the project when funds had been released by President Muhammadu Buhari for most capital and infrastructure projects.
Muruako told the contracting firm that commuters expected easy passage on the road, adding that the President also expected improved work performance on rehabilitation of all Federal road projects.
Also speaking at the project the project site, the Federal Controller of Works in Cross River, Mr Chinwuba Agbara, said that he would ensure effective supervision.
According to him, this is to ensure the Federal Government gets value for the money so far released on the project.
Agbara, who did not mention the amount so far released for the project, said that contractors only did the work commensurate to what they get.
Responding the Project Manager, Mr. Yang Zhidong, said already about 2, 380 metres of drainage had been completed while 5, 700 metres drainage would soon be embarked upon.
He told the visiting team that his firm would strive to meet the new Jan. 31, 2018 completion deadline of the project
In another development, Muruako decried the lack of performance and shoddy job on the rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep road project in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River.
He expressed displeasure at the level of performance of the contracting firm, Sermatech Nig. Ltd., adding that the level of work attained fell short of the funds so far released for the project.
Muruako, who did not state the amount so far released for the road project, urged the contracting firm to sit up because Buhari’s administration would not condone shoddy work.
The engineer attached to the project from the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Obot Akpan, said that only 9.45 per cent of the project had been attained.
He also attributed delay of the project to delay in releasing funds by the Federal Government.
According to him, no fund is appropriated for the project in the 2016 fiscal year. (NAN)
DOE/AJA
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(Edited by Adeleye Ajayi