Comply with contract specification or face EFCC, lawmaker tells contractor

Prestige Osy, member representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has threatened to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), if the contractor handling the rehabilitation of Garden Avenue, Aba, does not comply strictly with the contract terms.
Osy, who expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work, was also shocked that the road is coming without drainage in an area that is flood-prone.
He also expressed shock that the contractor claimed to have received just 50 percent of the total contract sum, instead of 80 percent, which has been released by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government, through the Anambra-Imo River Basin and Rural Development Authority, approved a-two kilometer road for Aba, which was awarded to Eme Technical Limited.
However, the Garden Avenue, which is currently being rehabilitated by Eme Technical, is just about 560 meters. Consequently, to make it up to 2 kilometers, the lawmaker has included Dike, Ebisike and Ogeke Streets for rehabilitation even as the four roads do not still make up the 2 kilometers.
“I want to correct one impression here for avoidance of doubt that what I discussed with Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority was for a two-kilometer road and that is what government is paying them for.
“Budget for the road is N40 million and the government has released 80 percent of the total sum. I am also surprised that he is working on a 560-meter road instead of 2-kilometer road, as awarded by the Federal Government”.
To make up the 2 kilometers, the lawmaker has added adjoining roads, namely Dike, Ebisike and Ogeke Streets, to be constructed simultaneously with Garden Avenue.
In the words of the lawmaker, “I have told them in clear terms that I will involve all the financial crime agencies of government to make sure that this project is done according to specification. Money will go into the drains, there will be no abandoned project and I have made them know this. And if this job is not done according to specification, you will see that arrests would be made and those responsible for this shoddy job would be asked questions, about what happened to public funds released to them for this job.”
He continued, “I have told Aba people that whatever money the Federal Government makes available for their development must surely get to them. I am seeing this contractor for the first time, I don’t know him and I was not there when the contract was awarded to him, so, nobody should say that I have collected a kobo from them, may be that was why they have delayed the job.”
“Let them use whatever government has allocated for this project on this project and not on anybody. And that was why I came personally today to inspect this particular project and to sound this clear warning to them that nothing less than what was appropriated for this project will be expended on it.
“Anybody, who thinks that it is business as usual, should know that there is a new regime with a new agenda. We are no longer going to tolerate this, those who go to do contract business and line their pockets with public funds without executing the jobs, should know that it is not the same with me, if you are doing anything with me, you should do it with all amount of accountability and transparency,” he said.
Emmanuel Eme, managing director, Eme Technical Limited, had earlier in an interview attributed the delay in the completion of the road to rain and lack of funds, which, however, was refuted, by the lawmaker.
He however, promised that the job would be completed in two weeks, subject to release of funds.