ODSG re-awards 28.5km Aboto/Atijere road project, saves N4b

By Adekola Afolabi
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The Ondo State Executive Council has reawarded the 28.5 km Aboto/Atijere road project in Ilaje Local Government area of the state for a contract sum of N8billion.

The project was inherited from the immediate past administration which had awareded the contract for the sum of N12 Billion on a contractor/client financing arrangement.

Briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting, Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Aminu Raimi said the state government after the reappraisal of the project, saved N4 billion by re-awarding it for N8billion.

“Part of the issues considered at the EXCO meeting was a project inherited from the previous administration. Before the present administration came on board, the Aboto/Atijere road was awarded for N12billion as a contractor/Client financed project.

“The immediate past administration awarded the contract to Zhi Jiang Construction Limited in October 2016, but this administration reappraised and revalued the project and converted it to client financing which saved the state of N4billion after the contract sum was brought down to N8 billion.

”This government was also magnanimous enough by reawarding it to Zhi Jiang Construction Limited, the same contractor that was engaged by the previous administration to continue with the job, but when the government realized that the contractor refused to mobilize to site, the second bidder, LEE Fakino Nigeria Limited, was invited and went through the tender board where it got the contract.

“So, the second bidder was considered and the memo was sent to council which has now been approved. The contractor will mobilize to site as soon as the weather is clear and as usual, payment will be made on milestone achieved,” he explained.

Raimi also disclosed that some school projects in  Ikorigho Ugbo in Ilaje local government area of the state which were to be constructed as model schools would now be constructed as classroom blocks with a concrete walkway so as to allow the pupils access to the schools. The school projects were also awarded by the last administration.