Makinde Threatens To Recover N250m Debt From Contractor

Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has threatened to recover the sum of N250 million from the former contractor, ENL Consortium handling the Idi- Ape-Basorun-Akobo-Ojurin-Odogbo Barracks junction road.

The governor who gave the threat during the commissioning of the 7.252km road said his administration did a re-evaluation of the road that was awarded by the administration of late Governor Abiola Ajimobi in 2017 and discovered the contractor owes the state government N250 million.

“After I became governor-elect, I was coming from Kolapo one day and I saw the contractor, ENL, they were working even at 1am in the morning.

“One night, I stopped and said what is so special about this road that even at night you were laying asphalt they said they wanted to finish on time. Even this bridge that is part of that project was not touched. I thought something must be going on.

“After we took over, I found out what was going on. The Ministry of Works brought to me a valuation and said we are supposed to pay the contractor I think about N400 million. I called Engr. Lagunju,

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“I said help me confirm this valuation, so he brought professionals, they did it and they came back with the verdict that the contractor is owing us N700 million.

“I called the ministry, I said how do we reconcile this valuation and they started telling me grammar that they want to harmonise it at the end of the project …project I want to terminate. “So, I terminated the project and re-awarded it to two contractors so that we can finish on time and up till today, they are still owing us N250 million…Oyo State money and I will collect it back from them,” the governor said.

Speaking at the commissioning of the projects, the special guest at the event and Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said leaders must be able to rise above themselves, no matter how difficult, in order to serve the overall interest of the people.

Fayemi, who is the chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), commended both the Ajimobi administration that started the road and  Makinde for not abandoning the project, saying: “It is to the credit of both governments that people  will enjoy this road.

‘’As NGF chairman my primary duty is to protect, defend, promote the interest of all the 36 state governors in Nigeria regardless of their party affiliation and we have governors from all sides.’’