Apparently shocked by the volume of abandoned contracts in the institute, the Senate Committee on Marine Transport has come hard on contactors handling the various projects at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron in Akwa Ibom State.
The committee has also expressed concern over these projects which dot the academy’s landscape.
Apparently shocked by the volume of abandoned contracts in the institute, the Senate Committee on Marine Transport has come hard on contactors handling the various projects at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron in Akwa Ibom State.
The committee has also expressed concern over these projects which dot the academy’s landscape.
The Committee’s Chairman, Hajia Zainab Kure lamented the cost of the abandoned projects to the economy, saying that "the Rector of the academy has been directed to summon the contractors and resolve whatever the problem is.
Kure whom led members of the committee on a budget fact-finding mission to the academy, also noted that the projects were still in the same position it met them when the Committee visited two years ago.
Pre-empting any move to approach the National Assembly for an upward review, she added that if the intention of the contractors was to come back for a review of the contracts then should forget it.
She also alleged that the contractors deliberately abandoned these projects with a view to asking for an upward review.
She stated the committee will not accept the fact that contractors will bid for jobs and collect mobilizations, do the work half way and then abandoned such projects.
"A situation whereby a contractor would be said to have collected some money and then abandon the project and nobody will hear from the contractor and after a while he resurfaces, we will not take that because there should be sanctions for such contractors.
"If you do not complete your project within the stipulated time, you cannot come and say you are trying to look for upward review, we cannot take it because it is a deliberate way of abandoning it so that they will and do that we will not agree to that.
"We are certainly going to sit down and look at those particular projects that were abandoned like the male hostel that was abandoned"
She acknowledged that there was misunderstanding between the consultant and the contractor, but disclosed that the issue has been resolved, adding that the academy's Rector has been given two weeks to order the contractor back to site.
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