Ekiti re-awards N5.8bn road contracts

The Ekiti State Government has re-awarded contracts for N5.8bn road projects which it revoked from earlier handlers.

Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua, who spoke with journalists on Friday on the outcome of the weekly State Executive Council meeting, listed the contracts as reconstruction of Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo road and the rehabilitation of Ilupeju-Ire road.

The state government had, a fortnight ago, revoked the N2.99bn contract for Agbado-Ode-Isinbode-Omuo road awarded to Messrs Prodeals Nigeria Limited in 2014 but re-awarded at N3.47bn.

Olumilua said the new contractor had 18 months to deliver the job.

The commissioner, who said the state government had revoked the contract for the rehabilitation of Ilupeju-Ire road awarded to Messrs Time Building and Construction Company in October, 2016, disclosed that the scope had been expanded to cover Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo-Ijan road and awarded to another contractor at N2.35bn.

He said the new contractor had 12 months to deliver the expanded project.

Olumilua said the erstwhile contractor abandoned the project after being mobilised to site with N195.9m, adding that “a refund of N47.8m by the contractor will be sought by the Ministry of Justice”.

He also disclosed that the exco approved the upward review of the contract for the rehabilitation of the Aramoko-Erinjiyan-Ikogosi road from N1.167bn to N1.625bn, saying, “The road being our tourism axis road will be attracting a lot of traffic.”