By PHILIP YATAI

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) has threatened to blacklist contractors executing streetlight projects, who failed to meet the contract terms.

The coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, gave the warning, while briefing newsmen on the state of streetlight projects in Abuja on Tuesday.

Obuah said that the warning was necessary following the failure of some of the contractors to keep to the terms of their contracts.

He particularly said that some companies were given contracts to maintain and secure the city streetlights but abandoned it.

Obuah insisted that the FCT Administration would not renew contract with any defaulting companies.

He explained that the contracts were to light up every part of Abuja, adding that he would never pay anybody for causing perpetual darkness in parts of Abuja.

“I have taken a tour of most of the districts and have observed an alarming situation where the lights are not functioning and some of the infrastructures have been vandalised.

“I am not impressed with the way you have handled the maintenance and security aspects of these contracts.

“FCT Administration will never consider defaulting companies for any job again, especially those who have contributed to the pervading darkness in Abuja’s streets due to incompetence,” he stressed.

He added: “I am aware that this contract is for maintenance and security of streetlights, but I have personally moved around their areas of operation, and I can say that the city is dark.

“Their payment has been processed and paid, yet the work is not being done perfectly as agreed.

“Why must we continue to patronise and pay them when the job is not being done? This is unacceptable.

“It is their duty to provide the security to guard the facilities. If the bulbs are dead, it is their duty to replace them.

“From what we are seeing now, I don’t think any of them are living up to the agreement they entered with AMMC.”

He said that he had met with the contractors to enable them to explain what the problems were, to see where AMMC could come in.

“I am not interested in pulling anybody down; I am more interested in the job to be done,” he said. (NAN)

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