Contractors in trouble as Borno Acting Governor speaks tough  

Acting Governor of Borno state, Umar Kadafur has on Monday threatened to revoke contracts at the state’s 500 units housing project site over the delayed and slow pace of work.

The state government had early this year awarded a N5 billion housing project to a string of contractors who had since been mobilised to the site.

The 500 Housing is sited along the Damaturu and Gubio Roads, in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Mr Kadafur who is also the deputy governor of Borno had visited the project site where he observed that despite being paid a total of N1.6 billion as mobilisation, most of the contractors have not made commensurate work progress.

To address the inappropriate situation, the acting governor, who is also chairman of 500 Housing Building Committee, directed the issuance of a stern warning to defaulters to braise up or risk revocation of their contracts.

In a circular signed by the Committee’s Secretary, Mohammed Abdu, the acting Governor disclosed that: “All contractors, who are either yet to report to project sites or abandoned their work; as well as not reached the damp-proof course (DPC) levels should return immediately.”

Mr Kadafur instructed the affected contractors to resume work within seven days or risk a bitter government action.  

“Failure to comply with this directives the committee has no other option, but to revoke your contracts,” warned Governor Kafafur.

He added those whose contracts would be revoked will be forced to refund their mobilization fees.

A list of defaulting contractors has been published in various media in the state.

Governor Babagana Zulum laid the foundation stone for the construction of 500 houses to address the gross shelter deficit in the war wrecked state.