THE Federal Government’s N9.2 billion clean cook stoves contract may be suspended because the contractor handling the project failed to supply the correct number of stoves for the N1.3 billion released to him.
The government is expected to procure 750,000 units of the stoves and 18,000 wonder bags meant to be distributed to rural women under the contract awarded to Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited.
The contractor handling the project has not been able to meet the agreed delivery deadlines reached with the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Nana Fatimah, yesterday said N1.3 billion, which was about 15 per cent of the N5 billion released to the ministry, was given to the contractor to deliver the first set of stoves and wonder bags.
She spoke at a conference in Abuja to commemorate the World Environment Day, adding that there were no subsequent certificates issued for additional supply after the 15 per cent was paid to him.
This, she said, has made the ministry to keep the balance of N3.7 billion till the remaining supplies are made.
According to her, the contractor had failed to supply the correct number of stoves commensurate with the N1.3 billion, which he received for the first set of the clean cooking stoves.
She said: “This contract was to last for three months. If you count from the time we mobilised him, you will know that the tenure of the agreement has elapsed. What he supplied to us is not up to 15 per cent. We have written to him. We have told him that what we saw we need to count. Because what is at the velodrome, looking at it, to us, we don’t think it is enough for the 15 per cent.
“We had agreed on dates that he (contractor) was meant to meet us and we have checked what he supplied and found out that what he supplied is less than the 15 per cent mobilisation sum that was given to him. If by the end of the week he fails to meet the 15 per cent, we will stop further payment.”
Former Vice President Namadi Sambo recently unveiled a few of the stoves at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.