TECHNOCRAT MEDIA NIGERIA, Abuja
The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has confirmed that it has paid a sum of 99,638,475 naira as consultancy for the supervision of Akure-Ado Ekiti road in the southwest of Nigeria.
The document which was signed on November 24, 2021, showed that the payment has been over a year ago while nothing is happening on the road as it is being abandoned.
Media Advocacy Africa Foundation, an Abuja-based NGO had a written freedom of information (FOI) request to the minister seeking information and data on the project.
In a response signed by the director of planning, research, and statistics, O.B. Ode-Martins, the ministry confirmed the payment of N99,638,475.00 as consultancy services for engineering supervision for the dualisation of Akure-Ado Ekiti road in Ondo and Ekiti states.
The document further stated that payment was made to Messers Davio Consulting Engineers Ltd who is to supervise the road project for a period of thirty-six (36) months when it is expected to be completed.
The award of project and payment
The dualization of Akure–Ado Ekiti road was awarded by the Federal Executive Council for a sum of N22, 663,451,303.61 to Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company Ltd in 2020 and subsequently got mobilized in November 2020.
However, the contractor refused to move to the site.
According to Global Gist, the ICPC had on September 16, 2021, led by David Oluwole, monitored the execution of the project and discovered work was yet to commence on the project.
The contractor’s site agent, Dr. Augustine Etafo had given ICPC project tracking team the assurance that work would commence in September.
Etafo explained that the project was delayed because the mobilisation by the Federal Government, was not really forthcoming.
He stated that the rainy season and interference by the communities also hindered the start of work.
“We have commenced skeletal work and preliminary work. Palliative work has also started.”
“Hopefully, full work will commence this September.”, he said.
Visit by Follow The Projects
On October 26, 2021, Follow The Projects team, a nonprofit project tracking arm of Technocrat Media visited the road project from ‘Akure all the way to Ado-Ekiti’ to monitor the commencement of construction works and activities on the road.
It was discovered that neither construction works nor equipment nor construction personnel was cited on the project site.
The only evidence of project award to the company was the project charter sited by the roadside in Ondo and Ekiti axes of the road.
According to reports, several road users and commuters have been killed, robbed, and kidnapped on the road because of its unmotorable nature for close to ten years.
Structural engineer
December 17, 2021 at 8:37 am
Davio Consulting Engineers Ltd firmly debunk the above subject that ‘she received the sum stated in the contract agreement’!
The facts of the agreement and status as at 17th of December 2021 are:
1. That the scanned document in this report shows the contract sum as agreed with the ministry.
2. That she is yet to receive any monies as claimed in this report till this date 17/12/2021.
3. That the project has not been abandoned as reported. Though progress is slow due to paucity of fund, but works are ongoing.
4. That she has submitted her consultancy report covering the extent of work done for the processing of her first payment.
5. That she is not liable for the work delay as reported in the subject matter.
6. That she is a firm that will carry out all works as stated in the contractual agreement, if the client (FMW) is responsible to the contract agreements.
Please this report is false and depicts a wrong picture of the contract agreement proceedings.
Signed
Davio consulting Engineers Ltd
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