RSUST VC Kicks Over Abandoned PTDF Project

The Rivers State University of Science and Technology has expressed displeasure over the abandonment of a classroom project being undertaken by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)in the institution.
The institution’s  Vice Chancellor, Professor Barineme Fakae who  expressed the displeasure in an interview with newsmen in his office,said the project -a two-storey classroom block for the institution’s Department of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering was awarded in early 2011, to a construction firm, Primi Constructions Limited, with offices in Ilorin, Lagos and Abuja. He said the project has been abandoned by the contractor since two years ago, after achieving just 20 per cent of the job.
Fakae said the abandoned edifice is now over grown with weeds and serve as an abode for reptiles and all other unwanted bodies, a situation which he said, has gotten the  students and other residents of the university worried.
The Tide learnt that the project  site has turned into an eye sour while students and staff who spoke about the project  expressed disgust and disappointment with the contractor and intervention agency for abandoning the project at its infancy without any explanation whatsoever.
One of the students, who spoke with The Tide, Apala John, a 300 level Petro Chemical Engineering student of the school, said the students and lecturers of the department were happy when the project started, but that it has now turned into a source of worry to them and the authority of the school as visitors are now greeted with the ugly sight of an abandoned edifice that is otherwise supposed to ease the challenges of infrastructures in the school.
“I was admitted into the school just about when the project was awarded. The whole students and staff were happy that at its completion, we will have a befitting classroom block for our lectures and researches, but just few months after starting the project, the contractor disappeared to the disappointment of all of us.
”The PTDF people and the contractor have been unfair to us. We need that classroom block,’’ he said.
According to the Architect in the Department of Works of the institution, Henry Ezeonu, the contractors, Primi Constructions moved to site just at the same time that another contractor, who was engaged by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund,( TETFUND) moved to site to build a similar two-storey structure for the Faculty of Science. He said that while Primi has abandoned its own project, the other contractor had completed the project, which was commissioned in early 2011.
Ezeonu also carpeted the contractors and PTDF for the sorry state of the building which he said should have been put to use by its intended beneficiaries since about two years ago.
A visit to the site of the uncompleted building showed that some illegal occupants are using the site for commercial purposes.
These illegal occupants who were said to have been ejected from another part of the campus, now offer photo-copying services to the students of the institution in a make –shift wooden shack erected at the site by the contractor.
The building is overgrown with weeds, while piles stones and sand litter the whole area. Some abandoned cabins hitherto used by the contractors as stores and offices complete the ugly state of the area, which is beside a Commercial bank in the campus.
Investigations showed that the consultants to the PTDF on the project, Yolas Consultants have tried in vain to convince the contractors to return to site. In a letter dated March 17, 2011, the consultants wrote to the university authority, it expressed regret over the attitude of the contractors, and promised that it will ensure the completion and commissioning of the project in that year, adding that it will issue a letter of warning to the contractors over its unacceptable attitudes to the project.
When The Tide tried to speak with staff of Primi Construction over the matter, it discovered that most of those who had been involved in the preliminary planning and execution of the contract had left the employment of the company.
Oyeyemi Olayinka, who was listed as one of the managers, only snapped at this reporter. ’’You are calling the wrong number, bye, bye’’ he yelled into the mouthpiece.
A director of the company, Ladi Fawora, apparently informed of an impending call from the reporter, refused to pick his phone, and also refused to respond to several sms sent to him over the issue.
One Mr. Adeleye Isaac, who exhibited sincere professionalism over the matter told The Tide that even though he could not speak for the company as he is no more in its employment, he believed that the contract had been stopped by the PTDF, alongside those in Bayelsa and Delta states, some years ago.
Mr. Bello Mustapha, a Desk Officer with PTDF corroborated his statement as he revealed that the contract had been terminated and re-awarded to another contractor, however, he refused to elaborate further on the matter.
Engineer Tony Molokwu, who is with the project consultants, Yolas Consultants expressed surprise at the issue of termination as he said his company has not been notified of this latest development.
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Fakae was visibly livid that despite all the time and activities committed into the foundation-laying ceremonies and all other support extended to the contractors over the project, it has been abandoned since two years ago.
He disclosed that even the contractors have refused to pick his phone calls and had been avoiding him for months. He expressed disappointment that while similar contracts have been completed in places that do not produce oil in other parts of the country, the project sited in a major oil-producing state has been abandoned by the PTDF.

L-R: Former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Senate President David Mark, at the 4th National Civil-Military dialogue in Abuja, last Tuesday.