By Festus Ahon
DELTA State Government has warned contractors handling the counterpart funding water projects between the Federal and the State Governments Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation And Hygiene, PE-WASH Programme in the State to execute projects awarded to them to specification.
The Commissioner for Water Resources Development, Mr. Martins Okonta, who gave the warning during a ministerial press briefing/meeting with PE-WASH contractors in Asaba, said the State Government would not pay for any shoddy work.
Also read: Delta Gov’t assures contractors of conducive environment
Okonta said: “For God sake, there are conditions spelt out for doing the job. In as much as money has been set aside for the job, if you don’t comply with the procedure, rules and guidelines, we will not pay you.
“We will follow you to the latter. This is government money, not just state government money, it is both federal and state combined. If you refuse to do your job, we will not pay you.
“The guidelines for executing boreholes under PE-WASH, has been made clear. The contracts must be executed according to the provisions of the Bill of Quantity, BoQ. Look at your BoQ and execute your jobs”.
He warned them against taking advise from a third party on executing the contract below specifications, addingthat; “every contractor must sign the contract agreement. If you disobey the rules and regulations, there will be trouble.
“Any contractor not performing according to the timeline, his job will be revoked because as you are doing, the federal government is watching you.
“If the federal government does one, the state will do one. You are being monitored. This PE-WASH work is not done haphazardly. You must comply with the lay down procedures and you must be given approval for change of site.
“If you want to change site, you must seek approval, if you change site on your own without seeking approval, that means you have terminated your contract yourself.
“The issue of solar pump, there is an acredited person we buy from. So that you can buy the one with high quality solar pump. If you go to Onitsha to carry pump, you are on your own. Payment will be based on measurement of what you have done”.
Disclosing that there would be two levels of supervisions from the project supervisor and Coordinator, the Commissioner said everything the contractors needed were in place.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Felicia Adun, the General Manager, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASA, Engr. Clement Adiotomre and the Chairman, RUWASA Board, Mr. Ejaife Odebala, advised the contractors to follow the BoQ.
Responding on behalf of the contractors, Mr Okwutu Emeka, assured the state government that they would do their jobs in line with the BoQ.
