Environment
GM Accuses Past Administration Of Contract Inflation … As Stakeholders Hail Wike Over Provision Of Clean Water
The General Manager of the Port Harcourt Water Corporation, Hon. Ibibia Walter, has accused the past Administration in the state for inflating the contract for the Port Harcourt /Obio/Akpor water project.
Walter, who said this at the just concluded World Water Day celebration in Port Harcourt and the previous Administration award the project at a whooping sum of $140 million as against the $102 million award by the present Administration.
According to him, “loans were sourced in 2012 by the Rivers State Government while subsidiary loan agreement was signed in April 2016. The previous government procured design consultants and design review consultants.
“We also inherited a robust project management consultancy from Rambo Denmark with hospitals Nigeria with over 20 experts without tangible results.
The government of Nyesom Wike’s approached the bank in April 2018 and reviewed the management consultancy 5 technical assistant ( individual consultants) in the following areas; engineering management and planning specialists, financial management specialist and institutional improvement specialist out of which only one was procured.
“Through diligent procurement process, the six lots of AFDB component were awarded for $102 million as against the over $140 million the previous administration was to award same.”
According to him “the World Bank Components of 3 lots would have caused the Rivers State government about $50 million as against the previous Administration $88 million”.
Walter also described as dangerous, the situation where almost every household depend on borehole for their source of water supply.
“The boreholes are often drilled in the worst possible hygienic conditions within aquifers that are either polluted with hydrocarbons, organic or other carcinogenic elements”, he said.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders have called for policies that will promote the provision of clean water to the people.