The Niger state Government yesterday awarded a total of N11.23billion road and bridge construction contracts.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructural Development, Dr. Ibrahim Sule issued letters to all the contractors in his office at Abdulkareem Lafeni Secretariat Minna yesterday.
He said N8.3billion of the total cost of the contracts will be funded from the N9billion bond raised by the government late last year while the balance will come from the 2012 budget.
The construction work include the Eastern bye pass, a distance of 14.4 kilometers at a cost of N2.8billion and the construction of the Birji- Lapai Gwari- Federal University of Technology junction, which will cost N925million.
Others he said, are the 3.4 kilometers Idi- Burial ground –Bahago roundabout road estimated at N1.45billion, the Rijau to Dukku road (48km) valued at N2.6billion and the reconstruction of 66.6 kilometers Kwakuti- Gwada- Kaffinkoro road costing N2.1billion. The construction of the bridge across River Kaduna will cost N2billion.
The Commissioner noted that the initial contract for the Rijau Dukku road awarded by the last administration has been revoked and the government will pay the necessary compensation to the affected contractor after the Ministry of Justice has legally verified who is to collect the entitlement since the owner of the company had died.
He also directed that the passport photographs of the Chairmen, Managing Director and Project Managers of the constructing firms be submitted to the Permanent Secretary. He said they should also give details about their contact address within and outside the country.
Responding on behalf of the contractors, Mr. Taiwo Adepoju, commended the transparency that the contract bidding process passed through, saying that the procedure adopted in the bidding and award of the contracts were in line with the best practices any where in the world.
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Niger awards N11b road contracts