BUSINESS
Delta Assembly C’ttee Chides ULO Consortium Over Poor Job Delivery At Asaba In’t Airport
The Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Works has expressed disappointment with the Contractor handling the Asaba International Airport over their seemingly failure to meet up the expectations of the state government toward delivering the project.
Chairman of the Delta State House of Assembly House Committee on Works Hon. (Chief) Evance Ochuko Ivwurie on Thursday while on inspection tour of the project expressed dismay over the failure of the contractor handling the multi-billion naira project.
BigPen Online recalls that during the DTHA 2018 budget proposal defense by the Ministry of Works, the House Committee on Works as part of its oversight function had requested for the immediate presence and attention of the contractor handling the Asaba International Airport.
The committee had directed the Delta State Ministry of Works together with their team as well as the Contractor handling the project, ULO Consultant Limited and their team, to avail themselves for on the spot assessments, inspection and evaluation of the actual work done so far at the Asaba International Airport.
It was gathered that instead of showing up, the Chairman and Managing Director of ULO Consultant Limited, Chief Uche Ukpunor had arrogantly decided to disregard the Committee by sending a representation Engr. Jerome Adeyemi (Project Manager) and Alli Bugawe, (Assistant Project Manager) of ULO Consultant Limited both of whom could not answer questions throw at them by the House Committee during the inspection ostensibly because of their incompetence and lack of knowledge about the performance of the project so far.
Speaking to one of our correspondent at the Airport project site on Thursday shortly after inspecting the facility in Asaba, the Chairman House Committee on Works, Hon. (Chief) Evance Ochuko Ivwurie said, “I am extremely disappointed and you have seen like myself that this specific contractor is obstinately recalcitrant and the conduct has put Deltans and the State Government in difficulty, their non performance has caused the State Government untold embarrassment, setbacks and public opprobrium”.
Hon. Ivwurie posited that the contractor and a few other contractors have carried on their businesses to the detriment of Deltans and the State Government by undermining the State contract policies and other constituted authorities in the State, at least by virtue of their nonperformance.
“Given the huge financial resources and priority the State Government has invested and earmarked for the Ministry of Works to sustain the current momentum of the government’s drive for infrastructural development, especially the completion of the Asaba International Airport and network of rural and urban roads across the State, we specifically invited this Contractor ULO Consultant Ltd to avail themselves at the Airport project site at 9:am prompt on Thursday, November 16th 2017 for this important exercise.
According to Ivwurie, the State Government have showed so much commitment to the goal of achieving quality, standard and effective service delivery expeditiously, especially for this airport infrastructure for which reason the Governor of Delta State Senator Dr. Arthur Ifeanyichukwu Okowa has indeed funded the Ministry of Works more than adequately in spite of the biting economic recession.
“There is no gain saying that this administration is pro-people and pro-development, but this contractor and a few other contractors have carried on their businesses to the detriment of the State Government by undermining the State Government, the State contract policies and other constituted authorities in the State, at least by virtue of their non-performance, absence and disregard for the Committee”.
“The State Government is development driven with a focus on timely quality service delivery and substantial release of the dividends of democracy to all Deltans, of course good roads network and airport are an integral part of good governance and key to economic growth that the government promise.
“It is for these reasons that we decided to carry out this critical oversight function which this Contractor ULO Consultant Ltd have disregarded”.
Continuing, the lawmaker said, “Based on this, we decided to come here and look at what is going on and you can see for yourself that Deltans are extremely disappointed, saying that the State Government was not happy with the performance of work done so far.”
Hon. Ivwurie added, “this Asaba International Airport is a pro-people and pro-development project that the State Government is committed to its completion and have no reason in the world to abandon the project, adding that the State Government will be taking “firm action” in delivering quality and valued services to Deltans.
“In this Committee we have two world class Engineers, Lawyers, Accountants, Public Administrators, he said adding, “The era of Contractors collecting money while abandoning projects is over. Be rest assured that the House Committee on Works will ensure that Deltans have full value for their money.”
The Committee also noted that there are couple of houses built on the land belonging to the Airport. We have asked the Airport Director, Austin Ayomidejor questions regarding this and he said some of the houses have been demolished and few others have been earmarked for demolition.
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