Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has ordered the arrest of the contractor handling Okposi-Umuoghara- Ebiaji Road in Ezza North Local Government Area for doing poor work as against government specifications after collecting N200 million mobilization fee.
Umahi, who gave the order while inspecting the road at Okposi-Umuoghara, also directed that a Ministry of Works official, Engr. Solomon Eze, be suspended for two months for lack of proper supervision of the project.
An angry Umahi told his ADC, Jonathan Bawada, to ensure that the two officials of the company who were on the ground be handed over to police for prosecution.
He described the work of the contracting firm, Tonando Nigeria Ltd., as very deceitful and fraudulent, warning that government would not take it lightly with any contractor playing on the intelligence of the state government.
In an interview, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Fidelis Nweze, said the company did less than two kilometres of earthwork with poor drainage.
Nweze said, ” We frown so much at that act because the contractor is supposed to have achieved a minimum 40% of that job. What we saw on the ground was less than 10% of the job.
“We are not happy about it. And on that note, we have suspended the engineer supervising the job from the ministry for two months for not briefing the ministry and government accordingly.
“We we will be approaching the court for justice.”
