The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee initiated an investigation on Tuesday into the reportedly abandoned Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road project in Kaduna State, valued at N1.46 billion.
During an investigative hearing held in Abuja, the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the project’s status and questioned Dr. Yakubu Adam, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Works, regarding the project’s progress. The investigation is part of a broader effort by the committee to review critical national infrastructure, focusing on road projects completed or undertaken in the past five years.
Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun), Chairman of the committee, noted that the funds for the project were loaned by the federal government, underscoring the need for accountability in its execution.
“Information we received from the Debt Management Office indicated the number of roads were even undertaken with loans taken by the federal government.
“But in particular, a particular road with the title Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road in Kaduna State awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works on October 5, 2022, and the sum of N1.461 billion paid to Messrs Jam Jam Dynamic Platform Limited.
“This road was supposed to be completed within 12 months; there is an allegation that the road awarded in 2022 has not been started as we speak and there has been full payment of the sum by the Federal Ministry of Works to the contractor concerned,” he said.
Salam said that as a committee that believes in equity, they insisted that the permanent secretary appears in person to answer questions after he failed to honour several invitations.
However, the permanent secretary in his response explained that the amount was not for the entire stretch of the road which is 133km.
He explained that the money was only for a portion of the road saying that the road was to be done in phases due to paucity of funds.
The official, however, expressed surprise that the road had not been done since the contract was awarded by the ministry following the report available to the committee.
He apologised to the committee for not honouring previous invitations saying that they did not get to him.
The committee resolved that the permanent secretary must return on Monday, November 4 and must submit all relevant documents related to the project by Friday, November 1.
In his ruling, Salam said that submission of documents on time would enable the committee to study them for a proper probe of the matter.
“We asked for certain documents to be provided and we expect that you would provide us with better insight so the committee can take a decision on the best way to ascertain the truthfulness of the claim that the road has been done, while full payment has been effected to the contractor,” he said.
(NAN)
