Imo Gov’t Orders Contractor To Refund N1.4bn Mobilisation Fee

The Imo State government, Wednesday, directed the contractor handling the Nekede-Ihiagwa road to refund the sum of N1.4bn mobilisation fee it collected from the administration of former governor Emeka Ihedioha for lack of competence.

This is among the resolutions of the State Executive Council meeting held Wednesday at the Imo Government House, Owerri. The meeting also told Gov Hope Uzodinma’s administration to re-award the contract to a more competent company.

The state commissioner for information and strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba, told newsmen after the meeting that the state EXCO also directed the attorney general and commissioner for justice to ensure that the bank that guaranteed the mobilization fee to the contractor handling the road refund it without further delay.

Lending his voice, the commissioner for finance, Mr Chuck Chuckemeka, said that the contract for the Nekede/Ihiagwa road was not an initiative of the current government, but that of the previous government.

In his words, “The contractor has failed the people after collecting a mobilization fee of N1.4billion. The government has directed that the mobilization fee be refunded to enable her to re-award the contract to a more competent and responsible contractor.”

On the 2021 annual budget, Chief Emelumba said the state government was working hard to realize its passage before the end of the year to benefit from the gains that would accrue to states that met the deadline for timely passage of budget from the federal government and international donor organisations.