Apparently miffed by the slow pace of work by contractors handling the 5km road projects in the 16 local government areas of the State, Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi on Friday summoned the contractors with a warning that their contracts would be revoked if there is no significant improvement in their work within the next two weeks.
The Governor who spoke said Friday’s meeting would be the last time he would warn the contractors to justify government’s huge investment on the road contracts; adding that though government had paid them upfront for the construction of the roads, he would not hesitate to go after the contractors and retrieve government’s money from them after revoking their contracts.
Fayemi said: “I am not here to encourage you to do my work. This is not why I called this meeting; it is to tell you that in the next two weeks if I don’t see significant improvement because I know you have all been paid and I don’t know anybody who knows me among you apart from public works corporation and I am not even impressed with public works corporation which is Ekiti state-owned.
“You didn’t get this job on the basis of knowing Fayemi and anybody that has called you to a room to collect my own cut of your contract which is why you won’t do the work should quickly speak out now. You were mobilized!”.
It would be recalled that the Fayemi-led administration, had in addition to the 11 major road contracts in the state, also embarked on the construction of 5km of roads in each of the local governments last year with the aim of developing not only the urban areas but also the rural areas.
The Governor who stated that the 5km idea was not a mere symbolism as government would not accept any shoddy job from any of the contractors, said that not only government but also the citizens who are the owners of the projects are monitoring progress work on the road.
Fayemi added that the vision of his administration was to ensure that at least 15 to 20 km of roads are tarred in each of the sixteen council areas by 2014.
The Governor who announced that he had revoked the contract on one of the roads in Oye local government for lack of seriousness on the part of the contractor handling it, however urged them to expedite work so that Ekiti people can reap the fruits of democracy.
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Last modified: April 6, 2012
