Senate summons FCT over contract award without design

By Haruna Salami

The Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has resolved to summo officials of the FCT for awarding the Karshi-Ara-Apo Road project to Kakatar Civil Engineering Limited without engineering design.

It will be recalled that the Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Smart Adeyemi who led members of the Committee on an oversight visit to some road projects across the territory expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work the road.

Expressing his dissatisfaction, Adeyemi said that the contractor has betrayed the confidence reposed in him as demonstrated by the funding, which he described as “just inexplicable”.

Adeyemi further invited the contractor  to appear before the committee on Thursday.

However, after the Committee’s meeting with the contractor, Managing Director of the company Mr. Robert Arzibola said there we’re some challenges that faced the project at the time of award in 2011, especially the lack of drawing (design).

Mr. Azibola told the Committee that it took about two years later before the project design could be produced.

“We will summon the Director of Engineering at that time to answer questions how the contract was awarded without drawing and other questions will follow.

“Tomorrow we will have the minister here, the permanent secretary will be here, then you will be here. We will put this question

“I cannot comprehend how a contract will be awarded without drawing. That abinitio is wrong. Whether you pushed them to award the contract to you, we will speak about it. That is the way to go in this matter”, he said.