A’ Ibom plans to revoke non performing contracts
Isaac Job, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom state government has concluded plans to terminate uncompleted contracts even as it threatened to revoke non -performing ones, especially those whose contractors have absconded from site.
Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyangeyen, dropped the bombshell yesterday while on inspection of work at the ongoing construction of Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road executed by Julius Berger now at the last strip of less than 1km leading to the Four Point Sheraton Hotel in Ikot Ekpene.
Though the commissioner did not mention the name of any non- performing contractor, he commended others for their good works and emphasized that Gov. Udom Emmanuel is accountable to the people and has abundantly proven to be a man of quality and integrity.
He said the era of playing pranks with government contracts or absconding and abandoning projects for which funds had been collected were over.
“The Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road is of paramount interest to government because it was the road that brought all sort of controversies and false stories. But today, see where we are.
“I want to use this medium to announce that there would be no contractor in this state that would not be performing. We are already on the process of cancelling out any contracts that are not living up to expectation and to re-award such to more competent and trusted hands. There should be no explanation for non-performance,” he warned.
Mr. Inyangeyen argued that Gov. Udom was more determined now that Akwa Ibom people, without a godfather, have given him renewed mandate to give them something to remember in return for their trust.
He explained that as the governor has declared he will leave Akwa Ibom far better than he met it, nothing would be allowed to thwart that vision and determination.
In a related development, contractors have lauded Gov. Udom for his distinctive commitment to developing local content through deliberate involvement of indigenous contractors in the physical development of the state.
Investigations have revealed that, although the governor was very meticulous in contracts awards, over 60 per cent of ongoing contracts in the state have been awarded to indigenous contractors with evidence of good delivery.
