Nigeria Content Online

The House of
Representatives might recommend the blacklisting of the construction
giant, Julius Berger Plc, and other construction firms for allegedly
over-evaluating and other sundry contractual offences in the contract
for the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway.

The chairman of the
House Committee on Works, Chukwuma Onyema, who disclosed this yesterday
at a meeting with officials of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja,
also lamented that the works on the road have been abandoned. Mr
Onyema, who was only appointed into the position early June, complained
of the shoddy handling of the road contracts in the country, stressing
it is lamentable.

He also said that
the Minister of State for Works, Chris Ogiemwonyi, shared the
displeasure of members of the committee and doubted the competence of
most contractors, handling some roads in the country.

The members of the
committee, who spoke one after the other at the meeting, said Julius
Berger Plc failed in the project, and regretted that the contract which
the Works ministry claimed in its report, is 87% completed, has jumped
from its original contract sum of N11.930 billion to over N33 billion.
They described the increase as “astronomical and bogus.” The lawmakers
criticized the company for failing to appear before them despite an
invitation to it last week. The House had passed a resolution on
Thursday last week, mandating its works committee to invite the
Minister of Works, Sanusi Daggash, over a plethora of abandoned road
projects in the country. Last month, the senate committee on
environment also criticised Julius Berger and other construction
companies for the poor handling of their stone quarries in Abuja. The
committee, which described the operations as dangerous and unhealthy
for the environment, gave the companies about two weeks to clean up
their acts or face sanctions.

Half done

Subsequently, the
committee began its hearings on the dualisation of phases 1-4 of the
Abuja-Abaji Road in Kogi State, handled by Dantata & Sawoe in the
first phase, Reynolds Construction in the second phase, Bulletin
Company Limited in the third phase and Gitto Construction in the fourth
phase. The first phase of the contract was supposed to gulp
N11.227billion, and the commencement date was 3rd August, 2006, and to
be completed February 2, 2009, but the contract the Ministry of Works
told the Committee, was, due to logistics extended to February 2, 2011.

Though the amount “certified so far for the project,” pegged at
N6.445billion is released, the contract, is just at 51% completion
level, while its phase was budgeted at N9.627billion, the contractor
got N5billion, but just about 50.58% completed. The third phase of the
contract, handled by bulletin, was for N9.697billion.