Lagos Assembly Summons Contractors Over Poor Performance

Two firms handling various road projects in Lagos State have been summoned by the state House of Assembly over their shoddy handling of the projects.

These firms include Messrs. Moreno Marinas Lagoon Plc., handling the construction of Ariyo-Ira-Muwo-Tedi-Abule Oshun Bridge in Ojo Local Government Area; and FTBS Construction Nigeria Limited, handling the three-kilometre Iyafin Access Road, Badagry.

The House also threatened to sanction them if they failed to appear before it or present satisfactory arguments on why they abandoned the projects four years after being awarded the contracts and receiving large amounts of money.

The summon followed a visit by members of the House Committee on Works and Infrastructure to the sites where they expressed serious dissatisfaction with the uncompleted roads.

The Ariyo-Ira-Muwo-Tedi-Abule Oshun Bridge is a project that was designed to link Tedi and Ira-Muwo communities with Lagos-Badagry Expressway and further link the sprawling communities in the area.

Chairman of the committee, Rotimi Olowo, condemned Moreno Marinas Lagoon Plc and its officials for their insensitivity to the plight of commuters residing in the area.

“You have collected a large sum of money from the coffers of the state to execute this project, and this job has been on for over four years.

“Till date, you have not delivered up to 75 percent of the work; I see no reason why the contract should not be revoked and why it should not be awarded to another.

“I also learnt that you have a bad record as a company with the state.

“Some of your jobs with the state have been revoked; I see no reason why we should not revoke this one also,” Olowo stated.

He ordered the representatives of the Ministry of Works to invite the company to appear before the committee and threatening to penalise the firm if it did not provide satisfactory reasons why it abandoned the project.

A resident of the area, who identified herself as Iya Ariyo, told the inspection team that residents were experiencing untold hardship due to the poor state of the road.

The old woman condemned the pace of work at the site and appealed to the state government to expedite action towards early completion of the bridge.

While conducting the lawmakers round the project, officials of the Office of Infrastructure said the contract was awarded in March, 2008 and work commenced on 16 November, 2008 while the contract duration was supposed to be 15 months.

They also said the Iyafin Access Road project was awarded in March 2012 and expected to be completed in September 2012, but the project had not reached 30 percent completion when the inspection team visited the site.

The committee, however, commended Messrs. Ocean Beach Golf and Leisure Resorts Limited handling the reclamation of the Marina shoreline also in Badagry over the level of work done at the site.

—Eromosele Ebhomele