JONATHAN TO ECONOMIC TEAM: SCRUTINIZE ALL CONTRACTS BEFORE FEC HENCEFORTH

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday directed the Economic Management Team to henceforth ensure that all future contracts proposals were properly scrutinized before being sent to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

This was even as the Council approved the construction of Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue to Link Loko ( Nasarawa State) and Oweto (Benue State) at the sum of N36.118,910,405.94 with 48 months completion period. When completed, it would reduce the heavy traffic on the Abuja Lokoja road as well as cut two hours off from Abuja to Enugu.

Jonathan directive was to ensure that the designs were detailed and properly costed in order to guide government in the award of the contracts.

It was also to ensure that such proposals make provision in all the budgetary years through which the project gestation period falls so as to ensure that no projects were abandoned.

The order followed discovery by the Presidential Project Assessment Committee headed by Arc. Ibrahim Bunu, that contracts for the construction of over 200 Dams were deficient and lacked basic requirements for the award.

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku in accompany of the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen and Minister of State for Finance,Yerima Ngama disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents after the Council meeting President over by President Jonathan.

'We also agreed to reinforce the technical departments of some of the key construction Ministries so that we have efficient supervision of projects and that in drawing up agreements on contracts, there is the need to critically look into the areas of protecting public as against contractors' interests.' According to the Minister, 'Mr. President directed that these areas should be looked into to prevent future mistakes.