The Federal Government may terminate the contract it awarded
for the remodeling of the domestic terminal of the Port Harcourt Airport
in Rivers State, Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, has
said.
Sirika who spoke after a tour of the Port Harcourt Airport
International said the Federal Government was considering initiating
legal actions that would lead to the termination of the
contact.
He cited the slow
pace of construction by the contractor as reasons for the possible
termination of the contract.
The minister, however, expressed satisfaction with the pace of
construction at the international terminal of the airport being handled
by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Limited
and he announced that the project would be completed and inaugurated by
July 2018(this year).
“It is our hope that by July this year we will deliver this airport
despite some of the planning challenges and despite some of the errors
we have identified,” said Sirika.
Speaking of the old domestic terminal of the Port Harcourt airport
which had been under remodeling since 2011, Sirika expressed
dissatisfaction with the pace of work by the contractor handling the
project, Inter-Bua Construction Limited.
“Unfortunately, this particular procurement started in 2011 and the contractor moved to site in 2012,” he said.
“Since then, the contractor has taken his own speed the way he seems fit to do so and he has been indulged.“He even changed the scope of work without approval and subsequently
he went to the previous government and got approval to that effect.
“I am disappointed with his slow pace of work and services. As the
minister of State for Aviation, I have invited him severally to my
office to read him all the riot acts that I know how to.
“We have given him timelines and he has not adhered to those
timelines and I am constrained to take a drastic action once I leave
here.
“I believe he had all the time to finish and deliver this project.
What is sad is that apparently at the time I came, I found out that he
had a lot of materials on site that can take him to the finish and I
don’t understand what on earth is stopping him.“Even having paid him and agreeing with him in writing that there
will not be any more variation, he has turned around to do the project
the way he wants to do it.
“This is a contract. It has its clauses that can be invoked. It is a
contract between two parties. If he is not doing his part of the bargain
we will definitely invoke that contractual provision.
“We are serious minded people and I don’t think we will tolerate
this. I am extremely angry and unhappy and I will deal with him legally
and contractually because this project must be delivered on time,” he
added.