REPS UNHAPPY OVER FCT ROADS

By NBF News

The House of Representatives has queried the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over poor quality of ongoing road projects. Members of the House Committee on the FCT said the handling of the projects became worrisome when it was discovered that over N32billion had been paid to contractors from the contract sum of N66.8 billion.

Chairman of the FCT sub-committee, Mr Ernest Ibejiako, during a meeting with the Director of Engineering Services, FCDA, S.O.U Ugonabo, expressed the committee's concern that contractors only delivered less than 50 per cent of the money so far collected.

Ibejiako was particularly irked with multinational construction companies handling some of the roads after mobilizing them to sites, adding that the slow pace of work had added to the sufferings of residents of the city.

The committee queried the FCDA over discrepancies in the payment of over N4.96 billion, according to the documents made available to it, where it was discovered that only N2 billion was paid.

An upward review of the original contract from N3billion to N6billion also attracted the attention of the committee, which according to the members was difficult to defend.

'How can you convince Nigerians that the original contract of N3 billion has been reviewed to N6 billion, which is 100 percent on account of foreign component,' the committee asked the director..

Ugonabo told the committee that the delay in the release of the funds voted for the road projects accounted for the delay in the completion of most of the projects.

He stated that only N11.2 billion was released, but that N8 billion was paid to the contractors, while no money was paid in the last two years.

However, he apologized over the discrepancies in the figures presented to the committee, adding that, 'If the figures are not the same, it must be an error, some of these projects are supposed to be completed within five years.