There are strong
indications that the face-off between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Senate Committee on Marine Transport may result in moves that would culminate in the revocation of the N5.1bn complete rehabilitation contract of the Authority headquarters building in Marina, Lagos.
This came to light, as reports posited that NPA failed to meet its financial commitment towards the development of the Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos, may delay the actual completion of the project. The Authority was said to have failed to pay its 20 per cent equity till date.
Chairman of the committee, Hajia Zaynab Kure, dropped the hint, while lamenting on the pathetic state of the NPA headquarters, pointing out that one of the reasons why the Committee came was to ask questions in respect of the contract, but found the NPA Managing Director, Mallam Habib Abdullahi inexplicably absent at the venue.
“Now, talking about performance of ongoing projects of the NPA, the headquarters of the agency has not performed according to expectations at all. If I have my way, I will revoke this contract”, she observed, pointing out that at the rate funds had been allocated and utilised, they weren’t expecting a headquarters surrounded by scaffolds.
“We expected to be seeing a brand new NPA headquarters. Not to have come to see scaffolds here and there, covering almost all the building. That was why we refused to wear the helmets when we arrived because from what we have seen, there is absolutely nothing to inspect at the headquarters.
“We are totally disappointed with the progress of the work at the NPA headquarters. This is the flagship of the NPA. This is where everybody will refer to as the NPA house, yet the project has been lingering for how many years.
“If I have the right, I will revoke this contract and let it be re-awarded to a contractor that will build it in good time for everybody, not only Nigerians. So that people coming from outside will come and see a befitting headquarters of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“We expected the headquarters to have been commissioned before our coming; but what we are seeing is displeasing. It’s an eyesore.”
Echoing same notion, another Committee member, Senator Ben Ayade, said he was disappointed that the contract, with very poor local content base was still suffering and dragging as it should not.
The Tide learnt that the N5,001,785,839.05 contract was awarded during the time of former Managing Director, Engr. Omar Suleiman, for a complete rehabilitation and expansion of the NPA headquarters and was awarded to Messrs. Sageto Nigeria Limited in 2010 with an 18-month completion mandate, while Messrs AIMS Consultant Ltd bagged the consultancy job for the project.
Sadly, however, more than three years later, the project was only about 50 per cent completed, with scaffolds littered the facade of the headquarters building.