Niger State Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has expressed the need for a strong monitoring and evaluation system that will enhance quality control and checkmate the activities of some defaulting contractors handling various government projects across the state.
Governor Sani-Bello stated this while receiving the report of the Projects Assessment and Evaluation Committee in Government House, Minna, the Governor said a permanent monitoring, assessment and evaluation team was vital as its report will guide government in the completion of all ongoing and abandoned projects.
Governor Sani Bello noted that, to tackle the problem of projects abandonment, the state government will strengthen the Due Process office as projects cleared by the office sometimes run into hitches.
“We must strengthen the Due Process office, its very key and important. We have encountered challenges where due process had certified a project, which means there is something fundamentally wrong”. Sani-Bello said.
The Governor commended the committee for a job well-done,stressed the need for appropriate pricing of contracts awarded by the government.
“Our pricing needs to be looked at. I have realized that, in some cases, we are been overpriced and in some cases underpriced. I think there must be laid down rules and procedures towards profit margins for contractors”.the Governor added.
He said the report will be meticulously scrutinized adding that all the relevant MDAs and contractors involved and or indicted in projects execution will be invited and given opportunity to explain their position.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Hanafi Sudan disclosed that the assessment tour by the committee covered all government projects spread across the 25 Local Government Areas in the state.
The Chairman revealed that most of the projects abandoned, especially the rural electrification projects, are 90per cent completed while urging the state government to fast-track their completion as funds required to do so are not much.
Alhaji Hanafi Sudan advised the state government initiate and execute projects one after the other rather than carrying out several projects at a time and abandoning some in the process.
The Projects Assessment and Evaluation Committee was set up by Governor Sani Bello six months ago.
