New Democrat (Monrovia)
26 May 2011
Factors responsible for millions of dollars spent to build roads without the attending results have taken a new turn, with local contractors, blamed for failures, throwing the ball back at the government, insisting that demands for kickbacks and fraud-dominated processes are responsible.
The Association of Construction Contractors (ALCC), in a statement, contended that “if the contracts are not completed due to lack of capacity and capability, then no Due Diligence was carried out and the award was fraudulent,” with “those in authority…either awarding contracts to cronies or awarding contracts for kickbacks.”
The local construction contractors wondered “whether the due diligence result that form one of the strong bases why Pealat, the Nigerian-owned company given the Belle Yallah road project, was more qualified to be awarded the contract was a fake.
The contractors insisted that when contracts are awarded “after a genuine due diligence is done, satisfactory performance is guaranteed.”
The Association said that before the awarding of the contract to the company, it informed the Ministry of Public Works, in writing that Pealat was an unknown entity in the construction industry, especially in the road sector.
The contractors said they and others expressed reservations on Pealat’s capacity and capability to execute a primary road in Liberia, but the Ministry of Public Works ignored their findings and opinion.
Touching on the Government’s claim that it will take legal action against contractors, the ALCC said they would soon react.
President Sirleaf and her cabinet aborted their celebrated visit to Bele Yallah – which was cutoff from other areas due to lack of roads – weeks ago because the projected road to the area, on which millions of dollars have been dumped, was in shambles and uncompleted.
The President blamed Liberian contractors for not only the Bele Yallah Road, but also for other failed road projects, saying they lack the expertise and capital.
Contacted, Public Works officials declined to comments on the claims.
AllAfrica – All the Time
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Kickbacks for Roads