By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has unveiled fresh conditions based on which contractors handling highways will be paid.
These were disclosed to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday by the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, during his meeting with contractors and other stakeholders in his office – the headquarters of the ministry.
Directing all contractors to mobilise to site within 14 days and resume works with quality assurance, the Minister stressed that there would be no further negotiation, urging them to respect the position of the government in tackling the challenges facing the road sector of the economy or risk not being paid or contract termination.
“So the first is to direct all contractors back to site within 14 days. After 14 days and contractors have not fully mobilised to site I’ll issue letters of termination. And beyond this meeting, I have directed, that no more negotiation. This is very important; and I’m not issuing it as an order, I’m pleading that you respect our position and our challenges.
“So please, move to site to do permanent work. Palliative work is there, but it should not stop permanent work. Equipment for palliative work is different from equipment for permanent work.
“Number two, if you want me to process your certificate or pay your mobilisation fee, you must obey us. Every contractor going back to sight must give us programme of work, no programme of work, no processing of certificate, no disaggregation of your POP (Proof of Purchase) to prove how you got it, no payment.
“If you don’t want to do the job, no problem, but after 14 days you will see local contractors move to site, and I assure you they they will do it and do it well,” he said.
He also directed that, going forward, a contractor is entitled to a maximum of projects, and can only bid for new ones after completing them, adding that Mr President had approved new projects, including abandoned ones, across the country.
“And henceforth anybody that has four projects with the Ministry of Works will not get another project until he finished the ones he has. In the last 10 days, not up to 5% of equipment was imported into this country. So where are the equipments you are using to do all these multiple jobs you are doing. Mr President just approve 60 new jobs, and we will start the designing and profiling, so if you can finish your jobs, you will be part of it,” Umahi said.
The Minister who alleged that some contractors were working behind to sabotage his efforts by trying to prove to people that concrete roads are bad, in order to justify asphalt which they have been using and still prefer.
He urged them to desist from such acts as he vowed to clamp down on any contractors shortchanging the federal government and Nigerians, thus denying them value for their money on road projects, adding that he did not stop them from using asphalt, but they must use it with the guarantee that it must last 15 years.
“We are not saying don’t use asphalt, you can use it if you want to but you must do so on the following conditions. We have moved from asking you to give us a bank guarantee to just an insurance guarantee. This is just to let you know that I want to succeed.
“You must make sure that this asphalt lasts 15 years and concrete design is on 50 years. We have learned that some of you want to sabotage me to prove that concrete is not good. That is a lie, concrete is very good. Go to Lagos seaport and see what the contractor is doing. Go to my state to see what I did. The roads are still there and very good on concrete,” he said, adding that asphalt roads will only enjoy 5 per cent variation for once.