Abia govt wants contractor sacked

[MrVan]

By ANAYO OKOLI

UMUAHIA—ABIA State government has called on its federal counterpart to direct the contractor handling the construction of an Industrial Agro Processing Estate at Olori, Ikwuano council of the state, to be serious or terminate the contract.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Ike Onyenweaku, made the government's position public at the project site during a joint monitoring of agricultural projects being sponsored by the Federal Government in the state.

Vanguard learnt that the Federal Government awarded the contract at a cost of N439.5 million to ROZI International Nig. Ltd., while the company was  mobilized in September 2011, and given a completion period of 12 months.

However, almost one year into the contract, not much is on ground to show that the project would come on stream as scheduled.

The project, when completed, will accommodate two factories, amenity block, administrative block, utility block, a clinic, and two main factories as well as two-detachable bungalow, a bore-hole and four labour lines.

He said: "The contractor has shown that he doesn't have the capacity to deliver the project and this will definitely affect the implementation of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the FG in Abia."

According to him, despite being informed of the inspection visit, the contractor "decided not to come and explain issues".

Vanguard Nigeria