ANAMBRA ASSEMBLY SUMMONS COMMISSIONER AND CONTRACTORS HANDLING EDUCATION PROJECTS
Reporter : UCHE NDEKE
The Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Social Development Goals, Economic Planning and Donor Agencies has expressed dissatisfaction with the level of work done and alleged abandonment of projects by contractors handling World Bank assisted State Education Programme Investment Projects (SEPIP) in some secondary schools in the state.
It has therefore invited the State Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Omenugha, and the contractors handling the construction of hostel blocks at Government Secondary School Utuh, Nigeria Science and Technical College Nnewi and Government Technical College Nkpor, to appear before the Committee to explain the delay despite the release of substantive amount of money for the public Projects.
The Chairman House Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Economic Planning and Donor Agency, Mr. Ebele Ejiofor made this known when he led other members to an oversight function to some project sites awarded by the Anambra State Government. The Governor Willie Obiano led administration during its first tenure had promised to ensure that schools across the state were fenced to guarantee security of both students and teachers. To match action with words, contracts were awarded through the SEPIP with finance from the World Bank.
However, according to the Committee Chairman, Mr. Ebele Ejiofor, some of the contractors have not met the government aspirations as the level of work done so far does not justify the amount of funds released to them. Mr. Ejiofor, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader , expressed dissatisfaction with level of work done at Community Secondary School Nnobi and Government Secondary School Utuh.
He also frowned at the abandonment of about three hostel blocks for which government had released funds to the contractors. The Committee, however, commended level of work at Girls’ High School Alor in Idemili North Local Government Area with less than 20% release.
In an interview, a teacher at Government Technical College, Nkpor, Mr. Ifenanyichukwu Afulukwe, said the school had complained officially to the State Ministry of Basic Education that the contractor abandoned both the perimeter fencing and hostel contract despite collecting huge amount from the government. The Principal of Government Technical College, Utuh, Mr. Adolphos Okolie, also expressed regret with the level of work done in the school and called on government to come to their rescue.
Another teacher at Nigeria Science and Technical College, Nnewi, Mrs. Eunice Nwachukwu, noted that the inability of the contractor to complete the hostel block had adversely affected teaching and learning in the school. The Committee also expressed concern that despite receiving an official letter about the oversight duty, none of the contractors showed up at the various project sites visited.