– Urges Gov Fubara to revoke contracts
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Khana Patriotic Stakeholders and Professional Forum, KPSPF, has raised the alarm over myriad of projects abandoned in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, calling on the state government to revoke the contracts.
Members of the Forum who took a tour to some of the abandoned road projects in Bori, including the uncompleted Bori Zonal Hospital, noted that the contractors had abandoned the projects after receiving over 80percent payments.
Leader of Forum, Chief Gani Topba, urged the governor to quickly revoke the road projects and re-award same to a capable contractor.
Topba recalled that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, had visited same Bori Road projects two weeks ago and expressed displeasure over the abandonment of road projects, and called on the contractor to return to site.
“Today, professional from Khana Local Government came to inspect the government road projects that are in Bori so we can know the issues affecting the completion. Former Governor Chief Nyesom Wike awarded this contract and he didn’t release money. It is also on record that the present Governor released money for the project.
“But from what we are seeing today, what they have done is not even up to 20percent of the money they’ve received. We are worried about this. The governor has asked the contractor to return to site, but for one week now they have not returned. They only came here and dropped one of their equipment.
“So, I appeal that the governor should revoke the contract immediately and re-award it to a competent company that can deliver it so that Khana people can breathe. We cannot be waiting for a contractor that is not ready to deliver. They should revoke the contract and then recover their money already paid to the contractor. We won’t wait.
“If the governor does not cancel the contract, we the Ogoni people will mobilise a protest to government house to request that he cancels the contract. We cannot be begging a contractor who signed a contractor and to deliver same in 6 months. But this is one year the project is still uncompleted.
“Returning the contractor to site not an option because of he returns he will not do a proper thing. Let the State government get a capable contractor to do the job.”
Also speaking, a member of the Forum, Dr Cyril Wunu, lamented that Gokana street and other internal roads in Bori were suffering from the political crisis in the state.
“This is the second time this road is suffering this kind of abandonment. We frown seriously at this.
“We don’t want anybody to play politics with the development of Bori. If you are having internal problems you don’t tell people to leave site. His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, means well for the people.
“The crisis in the state has affected the project, why Boro? Why when it comes to developing Bori politics comes in? We frown at it because Bori is one of the satellite cities in the state.”