The Contractor constructing the
multi-billion Naira Jos Stadium in Plateau State, BCC Tropical Nigeria
Limited, on Tuesday denied collecting N3.48 billion mobilisation fee to
complete the facility.
The contractor denied collecting the
money when he spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Jos on the
allegation that had been paid N3.48 billion mobilisation fee at the
start of the project, which is worth N11.4 billion.
NAN reports that a Six-man Commission of
Inquiry was set up by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, chaired
by Justice Stephen Adah, to probe his predecessor, former Governor Jonah
Jang’s administration.
The allegation followed a petition to
the commission by an undisclosed petitioner who alleged that the
contractor had collected the said amount.
Plamen Iliiev, the firm’s Managing Director, told NAN that the petition
was “the mastermind of mischief makers who were all out to tarnish the
company’s image.
Iliiev said: “The only mobilisation fee BCC Tropical Nigeria Limited ever received was N463,214,216.99.
“This accounted for 15 per cent of the initial contract sum of
N3,088,094,779.93 before the variation, which raised the contract sum to
N11.412 billion.
“I have seen the figures the petitioner
presented to the commission and the said N3.48 billion paid to us as
mobilisation fee had no date at all, while the one (N463,214,216.99) we
know was paid to us on March 17, 2011.”
Iliiev also pointed out that “the petitioner equally displayed mischief
when he alleged that the contract for N11.4 billion was only for the
laying of Synthetic track and Artificial Football Pitch only”.
According to him, the contract variation
included two volleyball courts, two basketball courts, a swimming pool
and others as well as the complete cover for the entire stadium.
He said: “We are through with the
synthetic track and artificial football pitch and we are about to cover
the roof of the stadium.”
Iliiev said that when he got the contract, his firm had to redesign the
stadium because the initial consultant left with the design.
He also said: “We had to engage Afro
Sports Promotion, the Technical Advisers and Sports Facility Consultant
to FIFA, who redesigned the stadium for us and paid the consultant from
our pocket.
“I have to tell the commission that the
total sum we have collected from the state government is N7.1 billion
only and once more money is made available to us, we shall go for the
roof and cover the stadium.”
Reacting, the Commissioner for Sports,
Danladi Mann, said only the Ministry of Finance could come out with the
true position of the payments made to the contractor.
Mann expressed doubt over the capability of the then Government to have paid N3.4 billion at a go as claimed by the petitioner.
Mann said: “Remember, sometimes back, I
told you that what I saw in the handing over note was something close to
N6 billion that was paid to the contractor.
“But mind you, at the coming of this
APC-led government by Governor Simon Lalong, some monies have been paid
to the contractor to return to site and continue with the construction
which probably brought the amount to the said N7.1 billion.”
According to Mann, the Commission of
Inquiry has ordered the Finance Ministry to come up with details of all
payments made, which will help to clarify issues on the stadium.