Ebonyi IPAC Calls For Termination, Arrest Of Indigenous Contractors Over Non-Performance

By Alex Odeh

The Ebonyi State Chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has called on the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to weild the big stick by immediately terminating the contracts of some non-performing indigenous contractors in the State.

The Chairman of IPAC in Ebonyi State, Comrade Nassir Ernest Nwaze, who made the call in Abakaliki during a press briefing, lamented the attitude of some indigenous contractors, saying that the local contractors are sabotaging the governor’s efforts.

He expressed deep displeasure following IPAC’s monitoring of some government projects which include the industrial cluster, Ezzangbo, Vanco tunnel and Flyover, ICT University at Oferekpe, Aeronautical University at Onueke, Duplexes for Ebonyi traditional rulers and the housing estates opposite Chiboy.

Comrade Nassir Ernest Nwaze disclosed that part of the findings at the industrial cluster shows that nothing is happening there. He added that workers at the site only mobilise to site whenever they are informed that the governor was coming for inspection.

Nwaze said, “In our tradition, IPAC every year visits project sites of government, analyse government performances, and draw our conclusions and advise government on areas, commend them on areas they need to be commended, and then recommend areas they need for improvement. And that is what we have done. Yesterday, we visited some areas, about six sites.

“Our findings at the industrial city cluster, we observed that virtually nothing is happening there. There were no workers. We didn’t meet anybody at the site”,IPAC Chairman disclosed.

He stated further that projects sites visited where contractors have abandoned their contracts are mostly the sites handled by local contractors.

“But the places we saw that the jobs have been abandoned are all from our local contractors and our brothers. They are not helping the governor, they are not helping Ebonyi State”, he declared.

He charged the Commissioner and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Nwifuru on project monitoring not to renege on their responsibilities, but complement government’s efforts.

Hear the charge, “We charge the commissioner, the SSA on project monitoring to sit up as they are not complimenting the efforts of the governor. They should sit up and monitor these projects because if they are doing their work, these projects will not be abandoned the way they have been abandoned. And they are not expected that when the governor gives you function the governor himself will still come down to be doing the work he has given out to do.

Moreover, the IPAC Chairman called on Governor Nwifuru to prevail on the contractors to return to sites immediately and when they fail to do that the governor should terminate their contracts and recover the money given to them, “IPAC calls on the governor to force these contractors back to sites. Let them go and complete the jobs they have been given. Or terminate the contracts and then use security agencies to recover the monies that have been given to them”, he stressed.

Nwaze, however, commended the commissioners for Justice and Attorney General, Works, Environment, Housing, Agriculture, Primary and Secondary Education amongst others for the innovations they introduced in their various ministries.