By Dele Ogbodo
Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi has directed and appealed to all contractors to move to site within 14 days.
The Minister gave the directive today Tuesday October, during a meeting with contractors, partners and stakeholders in the Works Sector at the Ministry’s Conference room, Mabushi, Abuja.
He called on contractors to desist from saying what will be done rather they should do what is expected of them.
“It is my ability to pay you and it’s your ability to do the work that is what matters.” he said.
Umahi directed that letters be issued to all contractors against having any negations on their contacts rather to go back to site and do a permanent work.
He informed that there’s no processing of certificate or payment of mobilisation fee to contractors who failed to obey the rules, adding: “If you want me to pay your mobilisation fee or process your certificate, please obey first.”
The Director of Information in the Ministry, Mrs. Blessing Lere-Adam, quoted the Minister as saying: “We want to know how you got your POP, how your POP probably occurred in labour, we want to know how much you spent on diesel that is used in production of asphalt, in doing the work, so we want to know what the contractor is doing, we most know so that we can find out how we can come in to help.
“No program of work, no processing of your certificate and certification of your POP and if there’s increase in your contract you have to let us know how.”
So if you are waiting for payment, I will not pay, if you are waiting for certificate to be signed I will not do it. The truth is it’s our right to asked so that if I’m signing any certificate am bound to explain, he added.
“So, if they sue me it is not the Directors, please give me the privilege to preserve my future by allowing me know, if I carry the Bible or the Qur’an I will be able to say I know about it” he added.
The Minister expressed displeasure over where asphalt used is been sourced from, with research showing that the importation of bitumen into the country is not up to 5%.
Umahi said enough is enough that Nigerians are tired of game playing, that they want to see good 10km of good roads.