The Delta State Govern

ment, has warned that it would prosecute any contracting firms found to have induced  or  pressurised its officials to cover up their lapses in any project execution.

The Commissioner for Works, Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, gave this warning during a meeting with contracting firms handling major road projects in the State.

Funkekeme stated that contracting firms had an onerous duty to ensure that they execute their projects according to set standards and specifications and warned that the State Government would not hesitate to prosecute erring contractors, who carry out shoddy jobs. He advised them to always ensure that the Ministry’s officials, supervise any work being done at the project sites,, adding that all certificates for payment would be scrutinised thoroughly to ensure they meet set standards and specifications.

The commissioner  noted that infrastructure development was key to the overall development of the state, especially as it was a vital tool for poverty alleviation, healthcare delivery, agricultural sustenance and security. He said that since the state government had carried out its financial obligations to most contractors in the last few months, they should brace up and ensure that they delivered standard projects on schedule and specifications.  He called on the contracting firms to be alive to their corporate social responsibility to their host communities and informed them that the host communities had been co-opted into the monitoring of government projects in their areas.  While unveiling plans by the Ministry to check project failure, Funkekeme, opined that only pre-qualified contracting firms would henceforth be allowed to handle civil engineering projects. He advised contracting firms to show their capacity and capability in terms of men and materials before they would be awarded new projects. He informed them that the ministry has put in place a monitoring team and call centre to ensure strict adherence to project specification and standards, and warned that the state government would prosecute contractors, who executed shoddy jobs.

Funkekeme directed contractors handling government projects to mobilise back to sites since the rains are abating. He also advised the contractors to shun the act of abandoning projects during the rains, saying that concrete works and quality control test could be undertaken at the right time. This he said was in line with the State Government’s resolve to complete all on-going projects to give Deltans befitting roads.  He explained that in line with the state government policy of providing roads to agricultural bases, the state government had approved the construction of roads to the agriculture markets at Illah, Mbiri, Umeh, with the hope of building more in the near future.