6th March, 2022
By Polycarp Auta
Mr Dan Manjay, Plateau Commissioner for Information and Communication has explained why N29 billion infrastructural projects, which include modern primary and secondary schools, and hospitals embarked upon by Governor Simon Lalong across the 17 Local government areas of the state have not been abandoned.
The projects, 22 in all, were dubbed ‘Lalong’s Legacy Projects.
It is believed that if completed, the projects will have direct bearing in the lives of the citizens of the state, particularly the rural dwellers.
But in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Jos, Majang attributed the delay in the completion of the projects to the ongoing litigation by the contractor.
But he insisted that the Plateau state government would complete the projects before the end of the current administration.
The commissioner explained that the Bleneson Service Nigeria Ltd., the company executing the projects took Plateau state government to court over alleged breach of contract.
“We are not happy that these projects have not been completed; we are really worried.
“But it is not our making, because the Bleneson Service Nigeria Ltd. took the state government to court over the projects.
“And because the case is still in court, we cannot do anything about the projects until the litigation is over and that’s the reason for the delay,” he said.
On why the company sued Plateau state, Majang said that government revoked the contract when the contractor failed to meet the agreed terms.
“Government brought the company in as a forerunner, but we later discovered that he is a contractor, and so we revoked the contracts.
“So, he took government to court; we won at the lower court but he has approached a higher court.
“But one thing I want to assure the people of Plateau is that Governor Lalong is determined to complete these projects before he leaves office in 2023.
“As I speak to you, we have N15 billion on ground for the completion of the projects as soon the litigation is over.
“More so, most of the projects are currently at 90 per cent completion stage,” he said.
(NAN)