Minister orders contractor to complete Zik Mausoleum by October

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has ordered the contractor handling the Zik Mausoleum, Bouygues Construction Limited to complete and deliver the project before the end of October.

Fashola gave the order on Saturday in Onitsha during an inspection of the project.

He expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work and threatened to revoke the contract if the contractor fails to deliver as ordered.

Fashola also threatened to report the Project Manager, John Ameh to his professional body, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) if he fails to deliver.

The minister said the Federal Government was not indebted to the contractor adding that, there was no reason for the delay in the execution of the project.

Ameh pledged to complete and deliver the project as ordered noting that the only work left was the finishing.

Mr Newton Okoroafor, the Federal Controller of Housing, Anambra State said the project was awarded in 2012 for N1.5 billion.

He said the contractor was mobilised effectively to site at that time to continue with the work till 2014 when he was demobilised due to non-payment of certificates.

Okoroafor said the contractor was again mobilised with all outstanding certificates paid by the present administration in line with its commitment to complete the project.

According to him, the federal government is not indebted to the contractor and the contractor has promised to deliver the project before end of October.