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Tag: abandoned projects

  • Long lists of abandoned projects in Plateau

    Long lists of abandoned projects in Plateau

    Plateau State has a long list of abandoned projects, scattered all over the state. It appears that the act of abandoning projects in the state has been made a tradition as all former governors in the state since the creation of the state in 1975 has one or two abandoned projects attached to their names.

    Part of the reasons for the large number of abandoned projects in the state seems to be that all the 12 military administrators that governed the state before the present democratic dispensation (1999) left the state unceremoniously, following sudden changes.

    The civilians that also governed the state before 1999 never got to complete their tenures as they are often removed through military interregnum. In such manner of forceful transition, projects are often abandoned.

    But at the coming of full democratic dispensation in 1999, one expects the era of abandoned projects to be over since the governors are often elected by their people with a term of office prescribed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, the civilian governors have also recorded a couple of uncompleted projects for reasons not clearly known to citizens of the state.

    Some of the lists of abandoned projects in Plateau State include; Olympic Stadium located at Zaria Road Jos, Mado Tourists Village, located in Tudunwada Jos, the Jos Rock Motel, Dr. Luka Bentu Indoor Theater, Solomon Lar Amusement Park, Rayfield Resort, Bokkos Fertilizer Blending Plant, etc.

    There are other categories of abandoned projects, especially the projects that were completed and became useful but were later fraudulently mismanaged, exploited and grounded. Such projects include the Jos International Breweries (JIB), Barc Farms, Highland Bottling Company, Jos Ultra-Modern Market, Plateau Investment and Properties Limited (PIPC), Pamyam Fish Farms, Pandam Forest and Games Reserve, Hill Station Hotel, etc.

    But when Governor Simon Bako Lalong assumed office on May 29, 2015, the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led administration in the state promised to revive moribund industries. There were some fundamental reasons which made it almost impossible for the incumbent administration to overlook uncompleted projects: The quest by citizens of the state to do away with abandoned projects became forceful under the incumbent administration. Secondly, as Lalong himself puts it, “it is part of the APC manifesto that governors must complete all inherited projects so as to restore the spirit of continuity of government in the democratic system”. Thirdly, the prevailing economic situation may not have given him the luxury of starting new projects due to paucity of funds.

    So, it seems Lalong was compelled by these three factors to emphasize the completion of inherited projects, especially the ones initiated by the immediate past administration like the intra-city road project, which runs from Secretariat Junction in the city center through to Maraba Jamaa Junction, which cut across the Jos-Bukuru Metropolis. Among the inherited projects listed by Senior Special Assistant, Media, Mark Longyen, to have been completed by Lalong, include the State Secretariat Flyover Bridge, the Plateau State Geographical Information System (PLAGIS), the College of Health Technology, Zawan; Multimillion Naira e-Library, and the Plateau State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

    Others, according to Lonÿen, are the General Hospitals in Riyom and Kanke, which have both been completed, while that of Mabudi, Langtang South LG is near completion. The multibillion naira Olympic size Zaria Road Stadium is awaiting completion. The Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, which was curiously abandoned by the last administration, has been resuscitated. The Jos-Maza-Angware road is under completion. The Mangu-Gindiri-Lere road is under completion, among other inherited projects that are at various stages of completion”

    So far, Lalong seems to have won the hearts of many citizens of the state because of his bold move to resuscitate old and moribund state-owned companies that were abandoned for ages. He believed that if most of the moribund companies are made functional, they will boost the internal revenue of the state, especially now that external funding of the state is no longer viable. Hence, the state Fertiliser Blending Plant in Bokkos has been resuscitated and has commenced production; the Highland Bottling Company located in Kassa, Barkin Ladi Local Government has been fully resuscitated and has commenced production of beverage drinks, bottled water, etc. The Jos International Breweries (JIB), the company that produces the famous Rock Larger Beer, has been thrown into the market for private investors to bid. Chairman of the state’s economic team, Mr. Ezekiel Gomos, said, “The plant audit of the factory has been completed, the cost of reviving the company has been ascertained, all that is left now is for private investors to come and take over and commence production”

    According to Gomos, “the economic team has put up several ailing state companies and made them active again so that they can help provide jobs for our teaming youths. The Highland Bottling Company is already producing, they have employed more than 100 workers; they are planning to expand very soon. This administration has invested N20 million to bring the company back to life.

    “Now, the Jos International Breweries (JIB) is the biggest of them all, we have completed the plant audit; this involves checking each of the equipment and ensuring its working condition. So, for any investor to take over the company, all these investigations have to be done. The investor expects the results of these investigations for him to compare with what is on ground. He may wish to change the plants and bring new ones, but he expected government to come up with its own report first of all, so we are at the point of plant audit.

    “On the Jos Main Market, the government does not have the cash to rebuild the market; it has been estimated that it will take up to N5 billion to rebuild the market and government don’t have such money. That is why government opted for Private Public Partnership (PPP). The partnership requires an experienced company to do that because the PPP is a new concept in Nigeria, and so it has failed in so many attempts. You need an experienced company to handle that. It is something that if you rush into it, it will fail with a very huge loss. So, government advertised and has gotten one experienced consultant who has done similar projects in various countries in Africa.

    The economic team is also looking at boosting the state’s economy through the revival of the burnt Jos Ultra-Modern Market. Gomos said, “Now the new concept is a model market of 21st Century, not the market type of 1970. In modern market, people drive into the market to buy, not to park one kilometer away. So, this will be put into consideration in the reconstruction of the burnt market so as to meet global standard.

    The chairman of the state’s economic team expressed confidence that “when all the ailing industries are fully revived, the state will no longer be called civil service state; it will be called an industrializes state. Massive training of youths in entrepreneurship has commenced in the state, because a lot of businesses are going to be generated by the industries and we need to get our youths ready to be the businessmen. They will be made to start small scale businesses and gradually grow to large scale businesses. Because we believe that industrialization is not just about industries, it is also about entrepreneurs.”

  • Ogun and fear of abandoned projects

    SIR: It is typical of governments in Nigeria to embark on so called “people-oriented projects” which the people would never benefit from, knowing that they lacked the wherewithal to execute them. These projects are better described as “white elephant projects”.

    The fear of residents of Ogun State as it relates to the will of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration to complete all road projects it had embarked upon may have been allayed by the recent re-mobilization of contractors in executing the projects spread across the state back to site.

    A lot of people were sceptical about the ability of the state government to fund and complete those projects scattered across the state in the face of the prevailing economic circumstances.

    Now, respite has come for residents along OGTV-Brewery road, Ojere-Adatan road, Lanfenwa-Aiyetoro road, just as contractors have also moved to site at NNPC-Kobape road, flyover Bridge at Ijoko, flyover Bridge at Agbade, Ilara, Ijoun-Ilase road to mention but a few.

    One can only imagine the value all these projects would add to the economy of the state when completed. It is thumbs up to the present administration in the state for taking on the enormous task of rebuilding the state in its entirety.

     

    • Odunayo Ogunleye,

    Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

  • FG earmarks N6b to complete 1,300 abandoned projects

    FG earmarks N6b to complete 1,300 abandoned projects

    The Federal Government has insisted on the completion of the over 1,300 abandoned Rural Electrification Agency (REA) projects before granting approval for fresh ones, it was learnt at the weekend.

    According to the highly placed source in the agency that disclosed this to The Nation in confidence at Abuja, “President Muhammadu Buhari said there is no need for new projects when we have not completed the ones we started and abandoned.”

    The source who asked not to be named, noted that “the Federal Government has earmarked N6 billion for on-going projects across the 36 States of country.

    “We have asked the contractors to go to site and once they present their certificates we pay them,” he said.

    He added that even in the 2017 budget, the agency is simply budgeting for the completion of existing projects.

    He also revealed that following the Federal Government’s decision to inject money into circulation, it has approved N1.2 billion for the payment of debt owed to the agency’s contractors .

    The source said  that government was owing the contractors N7.8 billion from which the agency presented N2.2 billion in this year’s budget and got an approval for N1.2 billion.

    The Federal Government,the source noted, “Was eager to put money into the system. We therefore felt it was better for the money to touch all the debts”

    The REA, the source further revealed, decided to pay all those that were owed N1 million and below, 100 %. “We paid N2 million to those that were owed N2 million to N8 million, while we paid 25% to those that were owed N8 million and above.”

    75% of the contractors, said the source, have so far been paid in the ongoing settlement from the N1.2billion.

    The source also revealed that owing to government’s decision to make some paradigm shift in the power sector, it has now had a recourse to the development of renewable energy.

    Continuing, he said that “for cleaner energy, we are exploiting the renewable energy. We have proposed six pilot projects for the renewable energy under the Rural Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan (RESIP).

    “This gives us the latitude to woo investors in the renewable energy and grid extension , where applicable through the Public Private Partnership ( PPP). This is so because it will allow us subsidize capital investment  which will give us room for sustainability.

    “This has to be through the establishment of the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) using international best practices and transparency . We just had the approval for REF and the minister will launch it very soon.”

  • Abandoned projects litter Maritime Academy of Nigeria

    Abandoned projects litter Maritime Academy of Nigeria

    With several abandoned projects at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Kazeem Ibrahym writes that the dream of turning it into a degree-awarding institution may be a mirage, if urgent steps are not taken.

    A visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime, Safety, Education and Administration to the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, has exposed a can of worms about how contractors working on some of the projects in the academy abandon such jobs after being given mobilisation fees.

    The visit of the lawmakers was  to condole with the management, staff and students of the Academy over the death of their Rector, Dr. Joshua Okpo, and to familiarise with the Academy’s management and environment, as well as perform their statutory functions.

    The lawmakers were led by its Chairman, Muhammad Bago. He decried the state of infrastructure in the institution. He challenged the management to speed up measures aimed at enhacing development and standards in the institution, for the benefit of the nation.

    Bago, who did not mince words in condemning the attitude of some of the contractors, said henceforth, the management of the institution should stop the award of new contracts. He urged them to ensure the completion of all pending contracts.

    The chairman also said his committee would not tolerate fragmentation of contracts while advising the management of the institution to see the members of the committee as partners in progress.

    Reiterating the committee’s displeasure over the number of uncompleted projects in the Academy, the chairman said Academy’s contractors will be summoned to a meeting holding in Abuja, stressing that contractors who do not deliver their jobs within the stipulated time frame will have their contracts revoked and the funds recovered.

    He also warned that defaulters will be prosecuted by the appropriate governmental body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which is saddled with the responsibility.

    His words: “Let us apply conscience to what we are doing. We are all Nigerians. I am mostly touched with the level of uncompleted projects here. There is no road network here. Some buildings have been completed while some are still at the foundation level. We cannot continue to sink billions of naira here and everything is half done.

    “We are not going to tolerate corruption. This committee will meet with all the contractors. We can bring the contractors to book. Nobody is above the law. We will summon them, if they fail to come, we will declare them wanted. We need to change in this academy. Contractors need to be cautioned. We will not allow a situation where contractors will receive our money and just abscond with it.

    “On the official aspect of our oversight, you have been found wanting, not necessarily directly but indirectly. You are thinking of transforming to a university and you are given huge land and you went to sink a lot of money. We have since where you have sunk this money. But do we have value for the money? No, we don’t.

    “Coming to the main bowl of the institution, we saw a lot of old and abandoned projects. My heart bleeds. Seriously, it bleeds. It is our mission as a committee that by the grace of God before the end of our tenure, your swimming pool, sports complex, the abandoned nautical school and any other projects that are within this institution will be completed.

    “We as a committee and as a parliament that is responsible, we are not going to erect any new project again. All your projects that you have started will have to be completed.”

    Bago however expressed worry over the poor utilization of the Academy’s products, in this case the Cadets, and called for suggestive measures to tackle the embarrassing situation urging the Management to forward a formal request to the National Assembly for deliberation.

    Also speaking, the House Member Representing Ikot Abasi/Mkpat Enin/Eastern Obolo Federal Constituency, Francis Uduyork said the Academy being one of the oldest Maritime training institutions in West Africa deserves to be upgraded to a University and charged the Management to generate a constructive and well-articulated proposal in that respect for presentation to the committee.

    He said: “We as a committee will work with you to ensure that this institution is accorded a deserving status. I believe this institution is one of the oldest of its kind in West Africa and so there is nothing wrong with it becoming a university, so your articulation in the proposal must be well constructed, so we can move this institution forward.”

    He averred that the management could always count on the committee’s support as the committee will ensure that things are done rightly.

    Earlier, in his welcome address, the Registrar of the Academy, Mr. Mkpandiok Mkpandiok had welcomed the visitors to the academy, noting that their visit was timely given the present state of the institution.

    Giving a brief history of the institution, he intimated the committee that the Academy, despite its constraints, has over the years been able to produce competent personnel operating in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond as well as those marine personnel who drive the Oil and Gas sector.

    The Registrar also expressed optimism in the committee’s visit observing that it marks the beginning of better things for the Academy and called on the committee to use the powers within the ambit of the law to upgrade the Academy to the enviable status deserving of an institution of 40 years standing.

    He said: “The Academy has delivered on its mandate of training competent personnel for the Maritime and Allied Industries, we have trained Master Mariners, Marine Engineers, Maritime Administrators and several other professionals. Development being a gradual process we still have a lot of challenges to surmount to be counted among the comity of maritime academics of the world. But we trust we can get there with your support.”

    The lawmakers during the visit inspected the students’ hostels; staff quarters; sports complex; abandoned nautical school; simulation room and the jetty.

     

  • Complete abandoned projects in Ikale land, group urges Mimiko

    Complete abandoned projects in Ikale land, group urges Mimiko

    Indigenes of Ikale land comprising Okitipupa and Irele local government areas of Ondo  State  are pleading with Governor Olusegun Mimiko to complete all abandoned projects in the area. Speaking through a group of eminent personalities in the area under the aegis of Omawa Club of Ikale land, they lamented that the area has not witnessed any visible development in the last six and half years.

    They noted that all major projects capable of impacting positively on the lives of the Ikale people, initiated by their kinsman and former Governor Olusegun Agagu, have been abandoned. According to the group’s President, Otunba Benson Akindeji, the situation is causing untold hardship on the residents.

    The group specifically lamented the poor condition of health, electricity and water supply in the area. It urged Mimiko to approve funds for the immediate completion of the abandoned Ayeka-Irele and Ode-Aye-Igbotako roads.

    “The governor should also commence the rehabilitation of Okitipupa-Ikoya-Igbotako-Akinfosile and Ore-Okitipupa road as well as embark on the construction of road network that will guarantee easy access and transportation in Ikale land. There is also the need to extend the urban renewal scheme in respect of the dualisation of township roads as done in Ondo town, Akure, Owo and Ikare Akoko to Okitipupa and Irele towns”.

    “The state government should provide medical facilities, drugs, equipment and medical personnel to the existing health facilities in Ikale land,” the group said. It also sought for adequate funds to run the State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) Okitipupa. Also, the group urged the governor to ensure restoration of electricity to the southern part of the state.

     

  • Rep calls for legislation against abandoned projects

    Rep calls for legislation against abandoned projects

    A member of the House of Representatives representing Oyo Federal Constituency Afijio, Atiba, Oyo-East and Oyo-West  Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, has called for legislation for the completion of all abandoned projects scattered across the country.

    Moving a motion on the floor of the House, Adeniyi said top on the list of such projects include the dualisation of Ibadan/Oyo/Ogbomoso/Ilorin highway that links the South-West with the North, which is about 70 percent completed, but abandoned at the Oyo/Ogbomoso axis.

    While lamenting the high rate of accidents on the highway, the lawmaker said, “Many people are at a loss as to why the much- publicised rehabilitation work on the road has not been completed, thus resulting in increased road carnages and fatal casualties.”

    He urged the federal government to immediately order the contractor handling the project back to work, adding that it should also provide adequate funding for the quick completion of the project.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) legislator also called for the completion of abandoned Erelu water project.

     

  • Kokori: A community replete with abandoned projects

    Kokori: A community replete with abandoned projects

    One of the oil wells in Erhoike-Kokori community of Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State is reputed to produce the second best grade of crude oil in the world. This reputation was earned by the 52-year-old oil well after laboratory analysis carried out in Vienna, Austria. The test also proved that crude oil from the facility has the least cost of production because of the shallowness of the well.

    But, it was the activities of a suspected kidnap kingpin and leader of the controversial militant group, Liberation Movement of Urhobo People (LiMUP), which brought unwanted focus to the Urhobo community.

    The people of Kokori, a sub-clan in Agbon Kingdom, said with 35 other oil wells they expect that their fortune should reflect on face of the town in the form of abundant government presence, infrastructures and other basic amenities. However, our finding revealed that the reverse is rather the case. Leaders of the community told our reporter that Kokori has been abandoned by successive federal and state governments.

    “What could be seen as blessing to other oil bearing communities in and around the country has turned out a mere pipe dream in the case of Kokori community. We produce the second best oil in the whole world do not have a single development to show. In spite of the huge sums of money the federal government is mining from this land every second of the day,” one of the leaders said.

    In fact, a tour of the Kokori community with some members of the Council of Chiefs and Elders revealed the appalling state of affairs. Dozens of abandoned projects litter the community. Apart from the major road reading to the town, all streets and roads are either completely impassable or propped by broken blocks and pieces of wood.

    It was a stark contrast to the picture painted in one of the national dailies by a top government functionary. The impression created by the politician (names withheld) was so contrasting that our reporter asked the community leaders if there was another Kokori.

    The cry of neglect, marginalisation and the call on both the state and federal government by the community youths, women, elders to change to the plight of the people has been raucous. They called for development to be brought closer to the people in order to meet the yearnings of both the old and the young.

    “The community today has suffered a lot of pains that emanated from the gas flaring and oil pollution, thus, causing farmers not to have good harvest and depriving fishermen of their livelihood since the rivers in Kokori have been destroyed by oil pollution and no aquatic lives can dwell in them. Yet the state and federal government have never seen the agony the Kokori people are passing through,” our source lamented.

    Our findings revealed that projects that were said to have been awarded by state agencies, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) others were either left at the foundation stage or abandoned without completion by the contractors.

    One of such project is the construction of Ofuoma/Anaka/Kokori road, awarded to Wokson Construction Company. Two aged women were said to have drown in their attempt to cross a wooden bridge constructed by the community because of the bad road. They were returning from their farms when they met their untimely deaths.

    Leaders of the community, chiefs James Eyefia, Fredrick Eumofo, Pleasure Ogbe, Sunday Onochodjare, Chairman, Community Development Committee, Chief Ochuko Umukoro, Chief John Irikefe and Chief John Oghenejobor, who led the tour, said the pipe borne water which is the least basic amenity every community should enjoy do not exist. Although there are three water projects, none was producing at the time of our visit.

    The Secretary of the Kokori Council of Chiefs and Elders, Chief Pleasure Ogbe, listed the abandoned projects to include fencing of Ibruvwe Grammar School, Samagidi, Kokori at N15m; Delta State Integrated Rural and Industrial Programme at the cost of N45.5m; Co-operative shopping center at the cost of N25m; Reinforcement of Electricity/Installation of Transformers from Egbogho to Ikhukhu at N94m.

    Others are provision and installation of transformers and changing of wooden electric poles to concrete poles at N86m; construction of modern markets at N105m; construction of ring road at N12m; Construction of Kokori/Oshesheri/Okpara lnland road at N105m; construction and fencing of Youths Development and Skill Acquisition Centre at N85m; Women Training center for N20m and Kokori township roads at N32m.

    Similarly, there are the construction of Oria-Abraka, Egbo-Kokori/Eku-Imodje road for N650m; Construction of Concrete Drain along Kokori/Eku road at N50m; Kokori/Ugono/Orogun road at N200m; Construction of Emeyese Crescent at N45m; Renovation and fencing of Kokori Grammar school at N80m; Renovation and fencing of Egbo Grammar School at N40m; Construction and Equipping of Public Library in Kokori at N30m; Construction of Ofuoma/Anaka/Kokori road at N200m; Installation of Street lights at N50m; Rehabilitation of Pipeline extension of Water scheme in Kokori at N50m and so many others that have either abandoned or not started at all.

    Ogbe said the people of Kokori community do not need to cry out before they would be developed and provided facilities like higher institutions, standard hospital, pipe borne water, good roads network and most importantly relocating the host community, Erhoike from its present location and to give them a facelift because of the Gas flaring and the oil pollution in the area.

    The President General of Kokori Progress Union, Chief Gabriel Avwunudiogba, said when he assumed office as President General, he moved round the community and that surprisingly he did not see any presence of government in Kokori at all.

    Avwunudiogba said: “We are appealing to the state and Federal Government to come to our assistance over some of our needs like College of Education, polytechnic, College of Agriculture. We also need standard hospital equipped by government and good road network. Another one is the building of the new boys secondary school, which we have provided a land and had surveyed it as requested by government with all and all the papers we have submitted to the state government but till date the children still trek about four kilometers every day to Egbo for school because their parents, who are peasant farmers, cannot afford the outrageous school fees fixed by the Catholic mission since they have returned the Kokori Boys Grammar School to Catholic mission school which is today know as St Kelvin Boys Grammar School. They cannot afford to live like this.

    Throwing light on the issue of water, Chief Avwunudiogba explained that though there is water and swamp around them but that the water are no longer drinkable because of pollution caused by oil exploration.

    He also said their fishing swamp where their people go for fishing are no more and particularly decried the failure of the Federal Government to relocate them from the direct impact of gas flaring as planned decades ago.

    Avwunudiogba stated that government cannot continue to ignore the geese that lay the golden egg.