The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has terminated a road contract in Aguata Local Government Area, over alleged incompetence of the contractor.
Soludo, who paid an unscheduled visit to the road construction site on Sunday, described the company as incompetent and lacking the capacity to deliver on the job.
Although, the name of the company handling the road project was not mentioned, but a video of the governor’s visit to the site has been circulating on the internet.
It was gathered that the road contract is a federal highway that leads from the governor’s community to Ekwulobia Town, both in Aguata Local Government Area.
The governor, while speaking to the project manager at the project site said, “Just take off all these things (equipment) because this contract has been terminated. I just called the commissioner for works and I have told him that this contract has been terminated.
“See what you are doing. I have terminated the contract, and you are supposed to return the money you were paid. Useless company! We gave you this contract on the basis that you are an indigenous company, but see what you are doing. This is what we see. You blocked the entire highway, and nobody can pass by. Now, I am going to my hometown, how do I go? This is a federal highway.
“For months, you blocked the road, even for people to pass through the other highway, you blocked the road.
“This job was supposed to have been finished in October, and that was the contract you were given. Other companies that were given the same contracts like you have all delivered.”
The governor did not listen to any plea, as he rejected every explanation from the project manager on the site that the road had peculiarities that made it difficult to deliver at the appropriate time.
“There are other very difficult terrain, and the contractors have delivered. I have terminated the contract and there is nothing you can tell me about it. Take off all your equipment from this place and move out because another person is coming to take over the job. If you continue, it is at your own risk because we are not paying you a dime, instead, we are asking for a refund,” the governor stated.
Efforts to get the reactions of the governor’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls nor messages to his telephone line as of the time of filing this report.
