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Tag: contractors

  • Apapa-Wharf road repairs nearing completion, say contractors

    The Apapa Wharf Road reconstruction project has achieved 75 per cent completion, officials of AG Dangote Construction Company Limited, the contractor handling the project, have said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Project Director, Mr Bosun Kalejaiye and the Project Manager, Mr Tunde Jimoh, spoke yesterday in Lagos during an inspection of the road.

    Kalejiaye told reporters that the outbound section had been completed, while the second part, inbound Apapa, had recorded 25 per cent progress.

    The project director said the project was 75 per cent completed.

    He said the construction firm had deployed more workers and equipment to recover the time lost during relocation of underground and surface utilities in the Right of Way (RoW) of the project.

    Kalejaiye said: “We are moving with one gang from Section Four toward Section One and we have another gang from Section One moving toward Section Four.

    “Our focus is to finish the project with good quality works by July.

    “Our commitment is total. We have brought in additional equipment to speed up. That is why we are focused on finishing the concrete pavement by July.”

    The project director said the issue of high vehicular traffic on the axis was being properly managed by the traffic consultant of the project, MIS Advisory.

    Giving an overview of the project, Jimoh said work on the CMS/Ijora-bound carriageway was completed and progress was being recorded on the Apapa-bound carriageway.

    He said: “Presently, we are 75 per cent completed; the balance of 25 per cent would be completed this month.

    “The configuration of the road is about 80cm. Imagine a road with a thickness like this.

    “This is one of its kind here (Nigeria), considering the kind of high traffic we have here (Apapa).

    “We have a sub-grade stabilised with hard core. After the stabilisation with hard core, we have impermeable layer which is 10cm of sand cement.

    “Apart from that, we also have the sub-soil drainage, which drains out the water underneath the sand cement. Afterwards, we have the stone base which is about 200mm well compacted.

    “On top of this 200mm stone base, we are having our 250mm rigid pavement which is re-enforced with 10mm mesh.”

    Jimoh noted that beyond additional layers for durability, the road surface would be completed with an asphalt overlay of 50mm.

    Mr Patrick Adenusi of the MIS Advisory Services, regretted that smoke and dust pollution, reckless driving and assault on his team by overzealous law enforcement agents were among the challenges the team faced as it managed traffic around the construction area.

    Adenusi praised heads of law enforcement units who punished erring officers to stem the tide of assault on traffic consultants on site.

    “It has been hectic, tough, rough, risky and dangerous,” he said.

  • Shell urges contractors on safety

    The Vice President, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) and Gabon, Peter Costello, has urged contractors working for and with SCiN to prioritise safety and be relentless in discussing the challenges they face.

    He noted that the international oil giant was poised to help improve safety performance throughout the energy industry.

    “Safety is our top priority. Everyone who works for us, or with us, has an important part to play in making SCiN a safer place to work. We cannot succeed in isolation and we must share the challenges by building strong partnerships to further improve our safety culture,” Costello said at the 7th edition of annual SPDC JV Contractor, CEO Safety Leadership Conference in Lagos.

    “We expect our staff and contractors to comply with safety rules and regulations relevant to their work; to intervene to prevent unsafe conditions; and to respect fellow workers and the communities in which we work,” he said.

    In his remarks, Managing Director of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, SCiN, Osagie Okunbor, described the annual event as an opportunity to share learnings and ensure alignment, common ground and shared commitments on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) in Shell’s joint operations.

    “We cannot be too careful with safety issues. Through engagement, we ensure that the right competence is in place and we create opportunities for our staff and contract staff to speak openly about dilemmas. The collaboration must be continually strengthened so as to make Shell a safety model in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.” Okunbor said, adding that SPDC “more than ever before, is committed to delivering energy responsibly and safely, with total prevention of harm to our employees, contractors, local communities and the environment.”

  • UNIPORT contractors urge govt to intervene in debt recovery

    Contractors, under the aegis of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) Contractors Welfare Association, have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ndowa Lale, to release funds for contracts they executed since 2016.

    The group, yesterday in a statement in Port Harcourt, alleged that the university owed its members over N500 million, adding that the VC refused to pay them.

    But the authority absolved the vice chancellor of blame, saying the institution owed the contractors not the VC.

    The documents signed by the Chairman, Chief Collins Amadi, Public Relations Officer, M. W. Abiola and Secretary, Thomas Ossai, said the money was for jobs certified completed by the school in the last two years.

    The contractors listed the contracts as: accreditation jobs, road construction, renovation of classrooms, supply of electrical and civil engineering equipment, among others.

    They said they had experienced hardship, hunger, and death, recalling that four members died because they were unable to seek medical care.

    “Despite the huge revenue generated by the University of Port Harcourt, it remains indebted to us. The Prof. Lale-led-management has not paid us since January 2016.

    “The challenge between us and the Lale administration is the huge debt owed us. We are always deceived that invoices will be processed and paid immediately jobs are certified completed. This promise is not fulfilled, as unpaid bills accumulate for two to three years.

    “It is surprising that despite the revenue generated by the university from the Centre for Continuous Education, certificate and sandwich programmes, basic studies, science laboratory technology courses, IPS, Business School, etc., the Prof. Lale administration has been consistent in owing contractors. The revenue is not statutory, therefore it is free from Federal Government’s remittances.”

    They accused the VC of highhandedness, corruption and contract-splitting, alleging that instead of paying the debt, the VC gave contracts to friends and cronies.

    The contractors regretted that despite the revenue generated by the university, which is not statutory, it refused to pay them due to alleged looting of resources by the management.

    They said they had written to the Ministry of Education, National Assembly, Bureau of Public Enterprise and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to no avail.

    “We seek the intervention of President Buhari, minister of Education and National Assembly. They should prevail on Prof. Lale to pay us. We have worked and our jobs were certified by relevant departments and units of the university.

    “Many of our colleagues have died, leaving behind millions of naira owed them by the university. Money borrowed by our colleagues from banks has entered into default. Banks are chasing us. Many of our members have lost land, houses, cars and other valuables.”

    UNIPORT spokesman Dr. Williams Wodi said the contractors were owed by the school, and not the VC.

    Said he: “Payments are being prioritised. Those yet to be paid are the ones blackmailing the university.

    “The school owes the contractors, not the vice chancellor. Contractors were owed before the tenure of the VC.

    “Payments of contractors are prioritised. Those yet to be paid are the ones lamenting. The university will pay them. We have records of the amount owed them.”

    On the allegation that the VC gave contracts to friends and cronies, Wodi said: “The vice chancellor does not award TETFUND and NEED Assessment contracts, they are Federal Government projects awarded through the Federal Ministry of Education. They have their registered contractors, who they bring to do jobs according to their specification. The university management and VC are not involved in it.”

  • N100b leakage: Fed Govt orders contractors to show TIN before payment

    N100b leakage: Fed Govt orders contractors to show TIN before payment

    The Federal Government has ordered vendors of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to display their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) on their invoices before payments are effected by the MDAs.

    The  Government’s directive was handed down on yesterday in Abuja by the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun to the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris.

    A statement signed by Oluyinka Akintunde, Special Adviser, Media & Communications to the Minister, said the order was part of efforts by the Government to block revenue leakages.

    He said about N100 billion has been discovered as tax revenue shortfall by contractors between 2012 and 2017.

    Mrs. Adeosun, in a memo titled, “Compliance with Tax Payments by Federal Government Vendors”, said persistent leakages in revenue remittances by vendors had been uncovered by the Government’s Project Lighthouse, a systemwide revenue intelligence data-warehouse.

    The leakages, she said, “were due to lack of TIN particularly on Value Added Tax (VAT), Withholding Tax (WHT) and other related inflows into the government coffers.

    She said:“In order to address these lapses in the implementation of the 2017 Budget, as well as boost the revenue accruable to the Government, all MDAs should be directed to insist that invoices submitted by vendors for payments must clearly state the TIN.

    “This is to confirm tax compliance by relevant government vendors before payments are effected.”

    Mrs. Adeosun said the directive to the vendors, was in compliance with the provisions of both the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Procurement Acts of 2007 respectively, pointing out that spot checks would be undertaken on MDAs to confirm compliance with the directive.

  • Contractors handling Sukuk road projects to be paid soon-DMO

    Contractors handling Sukuk road projects to be paid soon-DMO

    Director General of the Debt Management Office (DMO), Mrs. Patience Oniha has assured that the agency was processing the release of funds to contractors handling some federal road projects being funded by proceeds of the Sovereign Sukuk.

    Mrs. Oniha said the funds was being processed for release based on documents received from the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the government agency implementing the project.

    The statement said that with this development, work on the roads will be further accelerated in line with the plans of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to provide a better driving experience for motorists during the December festivities.

    It would be recalled that, based on the structure for Sukuk financing, which is required to be asset-backed and the approval received from the sole regulatory body for non-interest financial products in Nigeria – the Financial Regulatory Advisory Council of Experts (FRACE), payment to the contractors constructing and rehabilitating any of the Sukuk Roads can only be made based on the achievement of milestones, which would be supported by appropriate documentation.

    The introduction of the Sukuk by the Federal Government as a financing instrument has been endorsed by a lot of Nigerians because of the direct link between borrowing and project implementation.

  • Enugu-Onitsha road: Nwoye gets Fashola to order contractors back to site

    Enugu-Onitsha road: Nwoye gets Fashola to order contractors back to site

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Anambra State, Dr. Tony Nwoye, has expressed delight over the decision of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to move to the site of the abandoned Onitsha–Enugu Expressway.

    Speaking after a visit to the ministry in Abuja, Nwoye said it had ordered the contractor to resume work on the road, which had been abandoned for some time.

    “I have the assurance of the minister Babatunde Fashola (SAN) that the contractors would move to site within two days,” Nwoye was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman Nonso Madu.

    He added: “Even before I became the candidate of the APC, that road had been on my agenda. It was by God’s grace and with the assistance of my colleagues in the House of Representatives I was able to facilitate its inclusion in the 2017 budget of the Federal Government.

    “The importance of that road to the socio-economic well-being of the people of the Southeast cannot be overemphasised. It is my hope that once the road is completed that business and other socio-economic affairs that had been affected by its terrible conditions would be boosted.he statement noted that Dr. Nwoye met Fashola and made the demands because of the platform he had as APC candidate.”

    He said: “The minister received me because I was the central player who pushed the project into the 2017 budget and because I have an enhanced platform as a governorship candidate. For this, I am grateful to the people and to the minister.

    “This is also a demonstration to all those who have confidence in our political project that as governor I would be able to do more for our people.”

     

     

  • Fed Govt releases N100b to contractors

    Fed Govt releases N100b to contractors

    Contractors got a piece of good news yesterday.

    The Federal Government has released the proceeds of the N100 billion Sukuk bond to 25 key economic road projects of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

    Finance Minister Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, yesterday in Abuja, handed over the cheque to Minister of Power, Works and Housing  Babatunde Fashola.

    The government issued the Sovereign debut Sukuk of N100 billion in September. Completed last week, the Sukuk bond has a tenor of seven years.

    The offer was oversubscribed at N105.87 billion. To Mrs Adeosun, “the milestone was a sign of confidence in the Nigerian economy and the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari”.

    She added that the Sukuk proceeds would unlock Nigeria’s potential. “This is the first Sukuk bond issuance for Nigeria. It is about financial inclusion and deepening of our financial markets. The proceeds will be used to further support government capital spending for 2017 – the construction and rehabilitation of 25 key economic roads across the six geo-political zones of the country,” Mrs. Adeosun said.

    Each of the geo-political zones is expected to receive N16.67 billion for roads in their zones.

    The North Central and Southsouth accounted for five each of the 25 key roads. The Northeast, Northwest and Southeast have four each.

    Three projects are to receive funding from the Sovereign Sukuk proceeds in the Southwest. The Northcentral has five – dualisation of Lokoja-Benin road, Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja road section one, three and section four and Construction of Oju-Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue.

    The Northeast has four – dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri road section two, three, four and five.

    The Northeest has four projects, dualisation of Kano to Katsina road phase one, dualisation of Suleja to Minna roads in Niger State, phase two, construction of Kano Western bypass and the construction of Kaduna Eastern by-pass road.

    Four projects will benefit from the Southeast. They are rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway section two, Onitsha to Enugu expressway, Enugu to Port Harcourt dual carriageway section one, and three.

    For the Southsouth, five projects will benefit from the fund. They are dualisation of Yenegoa to Kolo to Otuoke to Bayelsa palm road.

    Other projects in the region are the rehabilitation of Enugu – Port Harcourt road section four and the dualisation  of Lokoja-Benin road section two, three and four and five.

    Three projects will be executed in the Southwest – reconstruction and asphalt overlay of Benin – Ofosu – Ore – Ajebandele – Shagamu dual carriageway phases three and four.

    The dualisation of Ibadan – Ilorin road section two will also be completed using the raised funds.

    To benefit from the funds are Arab Contractors Nigeria Limited, CCECC Nigeria Limited, CGC Nigeria Limited, Dantata and Sawoe Construction and Gitto Construction Generalli Nigeria Limited.

    The others are Salini Nigeria Limited, Mothercat Limited, RCC Nigeria Limited, Setraco Nigeria Limited and Eksiogulari Nigeria Limited.

    Fashola praised the Finance Minister, the Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Ms. Patience Oniha and the financial advisers for the bond issuance for their painstaking efforts in realising the milestone.

    Fashola assured the contractors that the Federal Government was committed to funding its projects.

    The representative of the contractors, Mousa Nahkia, their gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mrs. Adeosun and Fashola for “working day and night to make this a reality”.

  • Housing project: ICPC arraigns NUT treasurer, contractors over N495.8m fraud

    Housing project: ICPC arraigns NUT treasurer, contractors over N495.8m fraud

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said yesterday it has arraigned the Treasurer of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Abuja Municipal, Mr. Percy Ndam, to court for alleged  N495.8 million fraud.

    Ndam was accused of conspiring with two contractor, Frank Igbinedion and Uche Nwedi,  to convert the cash into personal use.

    The said funds were meant for NUT Housing Loan Scheme.

    According to a statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa (mni), Ndam is facing a five-count charge before Justice Adegbola Adeniyi of the Federal Capital High Court 20, Apo.

    Counsel to ICPC Mr. Raheem Adesina, while pressing the charges against the three suspects, told the court that Ndam and his associates committed the crime between November, 2011 and October, 2015.

    The statement said: “The court heard that Ndam allegedly stole N296 million of the union’s money.

    “He was accused of converting N221 million from the operational account of the union to personal use in one instance and further received another N75.2 million belonging to the same union from Isaac Sanda, who is a managing director of Contemporary Archivision Ltd, a company involved in the housing scheme.

    “The court was also told that Mr. Igbinedion and Saframic Homes Ltd were paid N113.9 million in January 2012 for the processing of title documents for the land and for payment of compensation to the villagers, whose land had been acquired for the project, but allegedly embezzled N93. 899 million of the sum under the pretext of spending it on a payment to an unspecified task force and for the reprocessing of the Technical Drawing Plans (TDP) of the project.

    “Igbinedion and Saframic Homes Ltd were again accused by the commission of allegedly converting N50 million out of N100 million the former had received for payment to a company, Kenia Integrated Ltd, for the processing of title documents.

    “On their own part, Nwedi and NCR & Associates Ltd were accused of converting N56.7 million belonging to NUT to personal use under the pretext of spending the money on Land Offer Letters, TDP and payment to a consultant.”

    The statement said the offences “contravene Section 311 and are punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532, Volume 4 Laws of the FCT, Nigeria”.

    It added: “All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them as their counsel applied for their bail, which was opposed by Mr.. Adesina of ICPC on the grounds that the applications were an abuse of court process because they were filed before the charges were served on them.

    The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi, while overruling the objection, granted their applications.

    “Percy Ndam was admitted to bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum; Igbinedion N50 million with two sureties in like sum; and Nwedi N20 million with one surety in like sum.

    “The court said all the sureties must be resident in the FCT, swear to affidavit of service, and should not be below the rank of Assistant Director in the employment of the Federal Government or FCT or any of their agencies.”

    The matter was adjourned to October 31 and November for hearing.

  • TCN chief working against local content initiative, say contractors

    TCN chief working against local content initiative, say contractors

    Local engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) have accused the firm’s Interim Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed, of threatening the local content initiative.

    In a statement, the local contractors accuse the TCN’s boss of preferring to use foreign EPC contractors instead of the local contractors for jobs Nigerian contractors could undertake.

    Besides, they said Mohammed had put many ongoing projects on hold.

    The local contractors said the Federal Government in the last two years, has enforced implementation of local content policies in the ministries, parastatals and agencies by maximising use of local goods, competent local contractors for the rehabilitation and construction of power transmission projects.

    The policy, they said, has helped to fast-track the completion of ongoing transmission projects to help the TCN to be able to wheel more power to the national grid and provide more power for Nigerians.

    The contractors added that Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola had a meeting with them and discussed payment of outstanding invoices and promised to promptly pay new invoices.

    The local EPC contractors said: “This move has helped to bring back many projects on stream and a number of those projects are slated for commissioning next year. The commissioning of different transmission lines is a huge boost and clear sign that the transmission networks are being expanded.

    “However, as soon as the new CEO of TCN resumed, he has placed many of the projects on hold. He has refused totally to listen to reasons. He wants all the projects whether or not almost completed to go back to tender. The mess is total and the gains of the last two years are being jeopardised.

    “Besides placing several ongoing projects on hold, the TCN boss has failed to understand the legal implications and the potential losses in litigations, delays and liabilities that TCN may incur from his action and the negative impact the situation will have on the power sector. If the new TCN chief is not called to order and prevailed on to stop frustrating local contractors, he will spend most of his time in one conflict resolution or the order in one court case or the other. “

  • Firm, contractors quarrel over unpaid N400m debt 

    Firm, contractors quarrel over unpaid N400m debt 

    •  •Spokesman: They should be patient, we’ll pay soon 

    Aggrieved contractors and Conoil Producing in Koluama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State are in a row over unpaid N400 million debt.

    The contractors have threatened to shut down operations, if the firm failed to pay them.

    The indigenous contractors, under the aegis of Conoil Ango Field Marine Spread Contractors, said the company had not paid them for about 10 months for the barges and tugboats they hired.

    The contractors, in a petition sent to the management of Conoil, said despite waiting from December 2016 to September 2017, the company is yet to pay them for their services and equipment.

    Those who signed the petition are Chief Amadein Moses; Belief Leghemo; Mathias Sam; Tibiebi Amadein; Lloyd Sese; Christian Omietimi; Amos Imelekedi; Levi Wilson; Francis O. Francis; and Boma Leghemo.

    They claimed the debt is causing crisis in the community, adding that they can no longer contain the anger of indigenes.

    The petition was also sent to J.T.C. Leghemo, a traditional ruler; chairman of Oil and Gas in Koluama clan; 16 Brigade Commander in Yenagoa, Bayelsa; and the commander Gunboat in Bayelsa.

    It said:  ’’This is to bring to your notice again that the marine spread payment has taken too long and that we plead with you to please, effect our payment without delay. We have been waiting for almost 10 months.

    ‘’We, the indigenous marine equipment contractors, have resolved that if we do not receive any reasonable months’ payment this week, we will have no other option but to prevent your flowstation equipment or materials from entering our locality, Koluama, to your site.

    ‘’This is not a threat but it is a task that must be done, we have run out of patience. If you like, you can kill us with state apparatus, we are ready to die.’’

    Speaking on the development, the Contractors’ Coordinator, Chief Amadein Moses, said their patience had been overstretched, urging Conoil to do the needful to prevent problems.

    Conoil’s Public Affairs Manager Mr. Richard Edegbeai admitted  that the company is owing the contractors.

    But he appealed to them to exercise patience, saying the company was making efforts to pay.

    He criticised them for going to the media, adding that when they were promptly paid, nobody heard about it.

    Edegbeai said: “The ones they have collected before, did they go to the media houses to report that Conoil was paying them promptly? I do not understand them. If you are doing contracts, and for one reason or the other, there is delay in payment, they should understand.

    ‘’When it was good, nobody heard. They did not go to any place to report. Yes, it is true we are owing them and we are processing the money. A cheque of N200 million was to be given to them last Friday, but somehow, the cheque did not come on time.

    ‘’Why are they going all over the place, complaining? What about other contractors that we are also owing? There is no country that is not owing. Even America is owing. So, they should be patient.

    ‘’And because they are a community, they forced these marine spreads contract on us. Some of the barges we are not using, but we pay for them just because we want to upgrade.

    ‘’So, they should be patient. If they do not want to be patient, they know the best place to go, that is the court. And the moment they go to court, what it means is that they have frustrated the contract. I think patience is the keyword. By the grace of God, they will get their money soon.’’