‘Contract review committee will be fair’
The chairman of the
Osun State Contract Review Committee has assured all contractors,
consultants, and architects handling various projects being executed
with the controversial N18.3 billion loan that his team will be fair
and factual without witch-hunting anyone.
Adelana Odutola, an
engineer, heads the team comprising Adegboyega Oyetola, the Chief of
Staff to the state governor, and other top civil servants that toured
six stadiums to assess the level of work done on all the sites.
Some of the sites
visited by the team are the ones awarded by the past Oyinlola
administration in Iwo, Ile-Ife,Ede, Ilesa, Ikirun and Osogbo.
The tour also
extended their visit to the Living Spring Free Trade Zone in Ede where
the committee was briefed on the state of work by government officials
who had been supervising the project.The team leader informed the
contractors on each site that the governor had been inundated with
petitions by Osun state citizens who queried the rationale behind the
construction of the six stadia when there is no sports festival coming
up in the state.
As tax payers, Mr
Aregbesola could not disregard their concerns and had to do something
professionally wise because of posterity. Letters were served to all
the contactors to stop work on the projects so that the committee could
assess the level of work done on site.Crucial in the decision making
process of the committee, he stressed is the determination of the long
term usefulness of the six stadiums to the economic development and
employment generation strategies of the state.
Honest advice
At each town,
Odutola sought the advice of the contractors who unanimously submitted
that two or three stadiums were enough for the state.Though each of
them pleaded that their project be sustained and funded, when the
committee chairman asked them not to talk like contractors but as
citizens, there was an unanimity of opinion that the projects were
much.He promised that the committee will consider all the concerns
raised by the contractors. Contractor must sympathize with the
situation of the people of Osun state. ‘‘We are being factual and point
blank. Loans have been taken to finance these projects. What has been
given to contractors cannot finish these projects,the loans have to be
repaid. We know you want to save your jobs but you should look at
everything and the long term effect it will have on the people”.
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