Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State on Monday alleged that road contractors engaged by his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha, are trying to sabotage his government, and threatened revaluation of the contracts.
Already, he has announced the immediate revocation of the Assumpta Roundabout/Port Harcourt Road contract over what he described as the lackadaisical attitude of the contractor who closed the road for months with no job to show for the duration.
Uzodinma made the disclosure in a statement signed by his spokesman, Oguwike Nwachukwu and made available to newsmen in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The Governor lamented over the attitude of the contractors handling the road contracts, insisting that his government will not be held to ransom by the contractors bent on sabotaging his government.
He said “My government cannot be held to ransom by contractors who are bent on sabotaging my efforts by abandoning contracts awarded to them by the previous government”.
Already, the Governor has directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works to terminate the Assumpta Roundabout/Port Harcourt Road contract and re-award it to a more committed contractor who will fix the road before the onset of the raining season.
Uzodinma explained that the road is critical to the state because of its economic importance as it is used by interstate travellers.
He charged all contractors handling road projects in the state to return to site and start serious work or risk losing their contracts.
Meanwhile, the Governor has announced plans to set up a Task Force to assess all the road contracts earlier awarded by the former administration to determine the serious contractors.
He said: “I am going to set up a task force that will revisit all these roads to determine the contractors that are serious and the ones that are not serious. We will terminate the contracts of the unserious ones and re-award them to serious contractors.”
Further, Governor Uzodinma said “It is clear to me that some of these contractors are either not capable or up to something. Sooner than later, the rains will start and the roads are still lying like that. I am beginning to see them as sabotaging my government”.
Ihedioha had awarded several road contracts following the collapse of roads in the State.
