N460m uncompleted projects: Senate queries Ministry of Culture Perm Sec

By SAMUEL OGIDAN, Abuja

The upper chamber of the National Assembly has queried the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Information and Culture, Nebolisa Anako for paying the sum of N460 million to contractors without completing the projects.

This action of the Senate was sequel to the 2015 Auditor General of the Federation’s report, indicating that 100 percent payment was made to the contractors.

The query by the Senate Committee on Public Account chaired by Senator Mathew Uhroghide reads, “a constituency project contract amounting to N51 million for the construction of roads, parking lots, drainage at Ureje Dam in Ado Ekiti showed varrious part of the contract totaling N25.5 million were paid for but not executed.

“The Ministry should ensure the contractor either completed the work or refund the money collected and forward the recovery particulars for audit verification.”
In his written response, the permanent Secretary said, “the contractor has completed 60 percent and promised to hand over the projects on or before 30th June 2017 to the Ministry vide the minutes of the meeting held with the contractors handling the contracts on the 20th April.”

However, the contractor is yet to complete the project as at the time the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry appeared before the Committee on Tuesday.
The Chairman of the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the way the contract was handled by the Ministry and ordered the Permanent Secretary to go and get the contractor and complete the job.

The Chairman of the Committee said, “he was paid, he did not do half of the job and go and get him to complete that job until this man does this job, you will never have respite, whether it is constituency project, it is irrelevant. “

Also in the another query which reads, “A visit to a contact amounting to N132 million for construction of Ureje Dam waterfront scheme in Ado-Ekiti of Ekiti State, revealed that some parts of the contract amounting to N5 million were paid for but not completed.

“A visit to a contract amounting to N138 million for the construction of Event centre/Restaurant at Ureje Dam waterfront scheme in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, which was fully paid, showed that the contract was not completed.”

“The Ministry should cause the contractor to complete the contract valued at N19 million were paid for but not executed.”

The Permanent Secretary was, however, not able to convince the Committee that contract was completed and the lawmakers sustained the query.

Also in another query, the Senate queried the Ministry payment of N17 million for uncompleted project for the construction of fence at Exekuna cultural museum in Nchi-Onu, Amuzu Ezza local government in Ebonyi state.
The Committee said: “The contract amounting to N6 million was not constructed. As a result, all over the fence, some parts were also broken in the site.

“Audit inspection visit to a contract amounting to N122 million for construction of fence, gate House at Ureje Dam waterfront scheme in Ado Ekiti of Ekiti State, revealed that painting and external electrical works being part of the contract were not completed.”

“The Ministry should cause the contractor to complete the work or refund the appropriate amount involved. “ (Daily Independent)