Bauchi Govt issues 2 weeks to 10 contractors over housing project

Bauchi Govt issues 2 weeks to 10 contractors over housing project

Bauchi State Government has issued a two-week ultimatum to 10 contractors handling some parts of the 2,500 housing projects in the state to complete the project or face revocation.

The state Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Hon Hamisu Mu’azu Shira, disclosed this yesterday while briefing journalists on the outcome of a high-level meeting with contractors held at the Government House in Bauchi.

Shira said the failure of the contractors to complete and hand over the project within the ultimatum period, the state the government would be left with no other option than to revoke their contract.

According to him, after revoking the contract, the state government will re-award it to other contractors who can complete the work within the time frame.

He said: “Bauchi State Government is worried over the non-completion of some parts of our 2,500 housing project in different parts of the state, and today, we have resolved to issue a two-week notice to 10 contractors who we identified they are not doing the contract as scheduled.

“We have agreed that after revocation of the affected contracts, contractors who were found to have performed below the payment made to them, the government will adopt all available means to make sure the contractors refund the excess money to the state government.

“Although all their work has reached 97 to 98 per cent stage of completion, that is why we gave them to two weeks’ time because it is enough time for them to complete the project, and the good part of it is that we have enough resources to pay for the completion of the project to 100 per cent without seeking any additional fund outside the contractual sum agreed.”

The commissioner explained that the high-level meeting with contractors chaired by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ibrahim Mohammed Kashim, was to identify the challenges affecting the speedy execution of the housing project.

“Already, the letters of a notice on this position of the state have been signed by the SGG and dispatched to the affected contractors for immediate action.”