The House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency on Thursday said it will summon the two construction companies – Quintec Construction Limited, and Beton Bau Nigeria limited over the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s project at the University of Lagos.
The project called ‘center of excellence project is a faculty and hostel building with a contract sum of N14.8 billion located at University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba Lagos.
It is one of many of the CBN’s projects, which it embarks on as a way of giving back to the society through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The faculty building is an eight story building with a sub-basement, the proposed facilities in the building include offices, e-library, library, communication technology (ICT) facilities, lecture rooms, meeting rooms and 150 seating capacity international conference centre.
The hostel building is 150 rooms, 7-story structure with facilities such as gymnasium, laundry, kitchen, restaurant, rooftop relaxation facility, and ancillary support infrastructures among others.
Jones Onyereri, chairman of the committee, who led his team to the site of the building construction as part of their legislative oversight function expressed dissatisfaction over the slow level of work at the site.
He said the committee will summon the parties involved including the CBN in the project to come with their documents for a review.
Onyereri also gave them till 2019 or at most 2020 to complete the project. “I am not comfortable with the deadline extension for the very reason that we want the project completed like yesterday. For us this project would have been completed yesterday but haven seen the various challenges they are facing the members of the committee will insist that this project be completed by latest 2019 and 2020 at most”, he said.
“With the explanation given to us, what is left for us to do is to look at the documentation so that we ensure that three parties involved in this project as it is today that all is well and to make sure we give them the necessary backing to ensure the project is completed on time”, Onyereri added.
Speaking after the site visit, Isaac Okorafor, CBN’s director, corporate communication, explained that the problem emanated from the choice of the site, adding that looking at the site terrain at inception and the difficulties encountered, ordinarily, the project would have been abandoned.
“We felt it is in the interest of this contract and in the interest of our nation that this project will continue that is why there was a review and somebody that has proven to be a performer was brought from Badagry site. It is for the benefit of our country that we should not allow this project to suffer”, Okorafor said.
Speaking on CBN intervention projects, Onyereri said, “We had a lot of challenges with respect to these intervention projects but as God would have it since we started this oversight visit and seeing in reality what is on ground, most of us changed our minds because it is obvious that the projects are laudable as it is and are done in a very excellent form”.
“This is part of our legislative work. Before we look into any year’ budget, it is imperative that we undergo oversight to look at projects that fall within the previous legislative or agency’ budget. You can’t start looking into the annual budget without first finding out what agencies have been able to do with the money so appropriated to them. So that is why we are in Lagos to look at one of the intervention projects of the CBN. We have actually gone to the site and looked at what they have done, ye we will say there are issue to tackle”, he added.
HOPE MOSES-ASHIKE
