By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – House of Representaives yesterday reached a resolution ordering the contractor handling the rehabilitation work on Mubi-Maiha-Sorau road in Adamawa to return to site or refund the the advance payment of N449. 6 million.
This resolution followed a motion move by Hon. Abdulrahman Abubakar (Adamawa, APC) to the effect that the Federal Government in 2004 awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the road to Messers De-Pacific Investment Ltd at the cost of N2.9 billion and an advance payment of N449. 6 million made to the contractor who mobilised to site but later abandoned it when insurgents were approaching the area.
Abubakar who expressed displeasure over the failure of the contractor to move back to site even as the area has been cleared of insurgents since January 2015, stressed that the deplorable state of the road was causing hardship to commuters and inhabitants of the communities who are predominantly farmers.
This he said, has made it difficult to the people to transport agricultural produce and other goods to the markets, thereby reducing economic activities and development in those areas,along the route.
According to the lawmaker, “The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in December 2016 intervened and the contractor signed an undertaking to go back to site but has failed to do so,”
When the matter was put to vote by the Deputy Speaker Hon. Yusuff Lasun, the lawmakers unanimously adopted it with a voice vote.
The House which appeals to the House Committee on Works and Appropriation to make allocation for the project in the 2017 budget also mandated its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance with the resolution.