Shoddy Projects: Kwara Assembly Summons Commissioner, Contractors

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State House of Assembly has scored the state ministry of education low on its supervisory role of the ongoing renovation and construction works of facilities under the ministry.

A delegation of the Assembly, led by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Raphael Adetiba, on oversight function to ongoing capital projects in the state on Tuesday expressed gross disappointment in the manner in which projects of the ministry of education were supervised by its officers.

The oversight function took the lawmakers to projects across the three Senatorial Districts in the state.

The lawmakers who perceived sharp practices in the execution of some renovation works, especially those under the ministry of education, ordered the commissioner for education and some of the contractors handling the various projects to come to the Assembly on Friday for explanations and clarifications.

Hon Adetiba, who pointed out that the legislative oversight to the capital projects was to ensure that the projects are delivered according to specifications, frowned at some of the contractors and the projects’ managers of the school and road projects for their shoddy handling of the projects.

Adetiba, however, expressed satisfaction on the quality work on Esie Museum Township road, urging the contractors handling the various projects to always maintain quality to ensure that the projects stand a test of time.

The projects inspected by the lawmakers included the renovation of Ijagbo Comprehensive High School, Government Technical College, Esie – Iludun, Oro Grammar School, Victory Commercial College, Edidi, Esie Museum and Oro Ago Township roads.

The team also visited the water works project at Oro-Ago in Ifelodun Local Government Area, which was said to be 99 percent completed. The contractor handling the N67m water project, Mr Wasiu Ojuolape, explained that the water project presently eases the perennial water challenge in Oro-Ago and neighbouring communities.

Other members of the oversight team are Felix Tayo Awodiji of Irepodun Constituency, Olumide Awolola Ayokunle of Isin Constituency, John Bello of Lanwa-Ejidongari Constituency, Ganiyu Fola-Salau of Omupo Constituency, Abolarin Ganiyu-Gabriel of Ekiti Constituency and Muhammed Halidu Danbaba of Kaiama- Kemanji-Wajibe Constituency.