From Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State government yesterday threatened to arrest and prosecute 63 contractors delaying the completion of 140 housing units in Izzo and Amanze communities, Ishielu Local Government Area.
The 140 three-bedroom bungalows which would be used to resettle displaced persons in Ezillo/Ezza Ezillo communal war that claimed thousands of lives and properties which was resolved by the past administration, was awarded to 87 contractors by Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Out of the 87 contractors, only 24 of them have completed their projects, while 63 are yet to do so.
Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Francis Ori and his Information counterpart, Jude Okpor told journalists in Abakaliki that the contractors were given one year to complete the projects and threatened that any of them that fails to abide by the agreement after September 25 would be arrested and prosecuted.
According to Ori, “you will recall that on September 22, 2023, Ebonyi State government awarded contracts to various contractors for the construction of 140 units of three bedroom bungalows for Izzo and Amanze autonomous communities. They were shared evenly 70/ 70 per autonomous community.
“These contractors signed an agreement with the ministry and were mobilised with 50% of their money and they commenced construction. Along the line, they started making some requests from the ministry which we considered. We deemed it necessary to convey a meeting with the contractors.
“We had a meeting with them on January 23 when the contractors had stayed up to the required time at the site. They came complaining that they need variation on the job and we said no, we paid you people 50% of the mobilisation fee and you are expected to have completed the sub-structural and super-structural work.
“It was a very a long argument and after the day, I briefed my boss whom out of grace said we should give them up till April and the contractors were mobilised back to site. If you have any certificate outstanding, you should indicate and some of the contractors applied. We paid them and they returned back to site. Little did we know that some of them did not complete the project.
“When we convened another meeting in June, the contractors started giving many excuses and we told them to go back to site and complete the job. Some of these contractors are still waiting to see what we will do up till few days ago when during Ojiji festival, the governor directed that any contractor who fails to finish his job on or before September 25 shall be arrested and prosecuted according to the law of the contract agreement.
“Yesterday, I was at the site for inspection, I saw some of the contractors coming back to site and I do hope they are coming back to complete the work.
“Immediately the contract was awarded, the contractors signed a contract agreement with the ministry. That agreement was drafted by the ministry of justice. The contractors were allowed to go through it before signing, which they did.
“There is a very important section of the contractual agreement, ie, Article 5 subsection ( g) that states that contractors have no reason to stop work except if the certificate generated is delayed on payment and they have a minimum of three months to stay in that site. These contractors have spent close to a year and some of them are not ready to finish this job. They are also aware that this is a contract and I do not see reasons why contractors should default”.
On his part, Okpor said the law would take its course no matter whose ox is gored and urged the contractors to comply with the agreement with the state government.
“If the governor’s well thought out intentions to accommodate local content in the execution of contracts is referred to as kinsmen, I do not understand. But the truth remains that Ebonyi is an economy all of us must make conscious effort to stimulate, if human resources of the state are given access to participate in the execution of contracts, it will go a long way in stimulating the economy of the state, because these people are going to buy materials from the people and invariably, it will help them pay their taxes and other obligations to the state.
“So, no matter who is involved, the law will take its course at the expiration of this time that has been set by the state government. Nobody is going to drag the state government out because of its magnanimity to patronise local content”, he stated.
