Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), a Kwara-based Civil Society Organization, has written the National Center for Agricultural Mechanization (Ncam Centre) to request that the Contractor (HMF Construction Limited) be sent back to Apalara-Aromaradu Community road project site to do a proper work according to the project specifications in the approved Bill of Quantity (BQ).
Apalara-Aromaradu Community road is a Capital Project of Aso Rock Villa with a budget of N100 Million in 2018 Appropriation Act. The NCAM Centre received N55,051,439 from Federal Ministry of Finance, out of which N48,650,030 was paid to the contractor (HMF Construction Limited) after deductions of withholding tax, VAT and project Admin charges.
In a petition signed by its Coordinator (Dr. Alagbonsi Abdullateef) and delivered to the Executive Director of NCAM Centre on 21st May 2019, ENetSuD said that the construction of Apalara-Aromaradu community road by HMF Construction Limited is grossly contrary to the descriptions contained in the BQ it received from NCAM Centre. ENetSuD noted that the contractor used blocks for drains instead of reinforced concrete, and culverts were not found on the road contrary to the provision made for it, among other non-compliance with the BQ noticed by its independent technical team.
Explaining further to NCAM, ENetSuD said "while we believe that it is your responsibility to ensure strict compliance of the contractor with the contract terms as the executing and supervising Agency of Government, it is our duty to remind you that any work done by the contractor that is inferior to the provision made in the BQ (which will form the basis of payment) will not be acceptable.
ENetSuD also said it is not unaware of the fact that not all the amount needed for the project as contained in the BQ was released to NCAM for execution, but it is of the conviction that an underfunded project is normally recaptured in the succeeding year budget as “ongoing” to cater for the remaining balance. Thus, the funding status of a project should not have negative impact on its quality to the extent that contractor will be allowed to execute what is entirely different from the project specifications.
Finally, ENetSuD requested the Executive Director of NCAM Centre to ensure that the contractor (HMF Construction Limited) returns to the project site and fulfills the contract terms by strictly following what is contained in the BQ, failure of which it shall not hesitate to take any further necessary actions, and NCAM Centre will be alleged of negligence of duty and inability to enforce strict compliance of contractor to approved specifications of taxpayers’ money-funded projects.
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