By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Chairman, Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Works, Hon. Dr. Timothy Ifedioramma, has decried the shoddy jobs done by contractors in the state, saying that most awarded contract jobs were only less than 30 percent done.

He regretted that some of the contractors have been paid over 60 percent of the contract sum.

Ifedioramma, who described the development as a serious problem, said the State House of Assembly is looking into the matter with a view to resolving it.

According to him, the legislature will soon come up with a white paper on the names of contractors, their contract sites what they have done and what they owe Anambra citizens.

His words: “It may interest you to note that the state government will award those contracts, give out money and they will not deliver. Some of the contractors have collected over 60% of the contract sum but what you find when you get there may not be up to 30% of work done.

“So it’s a serious problem and we are looking into that and I believe that in no distant time, we are going to come up with a very clean paper on the names of contractors, their contract sites, what they have done and what they owe Anambra citizens.”

He explained that such action was necessary in order to clamp down on contractors whose stock-in-trade were execution of shoddy road projects in Anambra despite being mobilised by the state government.

The lawmaker, who spoke Wednesday in Awka, said that although Anambra roads were still work-in-progress, stressing that no particular government can do all the roads, given the space of time they have.

While frowning at the deplorable conditions of the roads due to poor executions, the lawmaker representing Njikoka One State Constituency disclosed that about six construction firms have been fingered for shoddy jobs and that more will be fished out and made public in an elaborate press conference where the state assembly will recommend that the defaulting companies be blacklisted.

Ifedioramma observed that the state was working on the roads and that in no distant time there will be a feel of ease for citizens.

He added: “The only unfortunate thing is that the coronavirus pandemic has taken both the state and federal government aback for more than four months.

“Yes, the rains are approaching but unfortunately part of the problem this year is this issue of COVID-19 pandemic. It has really slowed a lot of things down and unfortunately it is now leading us into the rains when the roads may not be given the kind of accelerated attention that it requires.

“As the House Committee Chairman on Works, I am on the neck of both the government and the construction companies that are on some of these roads. I almost go on a daily supervision and oversight functions on some of these roads and we do issue reports and recommendations where necessary.

“Some of the contractors are doing well while some are not. We are taking note and I will speak with the media to expose the serious construction companies and those other companies that are doing shoddy deals when they are giving work.

“I go on oversight functions and I have my instruments. I have engineering tools. So at the end of the day, we will tell Anambrarians; we will expose contractors that are doing those shoddy deals.”

Ifedioranma however regretted that the state ministry of works was not cooperative at some point with the works committee of the state assembly but expressed satisfaction that the works committee has established working synergy with the state ministry of works in the state.

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