Senator calls for revocation of Adada dam contract

By TONY EDIKE
ENUGU—CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze, has petitioned the Minister of Water Resources, Serah Ochekpe, demanding immediate revocation of the contract for the construction of N2.5 billion Adada dam and water treatment plant.

Senator Eze,who represents Enugu North senatorial district, said the project located at the Adada River and Obimo in Nsukka local government of Enugu State had been completely abandoned.

The project, which ground breaking was performed on June 20, last year has not progressed beyond site clearing, even as grasses had overtaken the entire area earlier cleared.

It was gathered that the contracts awarded to Rudo Nigeria limited, upon which a mobilization of about N289 million was allegedly paid, had been slated for completion in two years from the date of the ground breaking according to the contract terms.

A copy of Senator Eze’s petition, entitled “Letter of complaint; Adada Dam and Water Treatment Plant Project’”, dated April 2, made available to newsmen said it was curious that the contractor could behave the way he did since May 2011 when the mobilization was paid., leading to the

ground breaking ceremony.

He said:   “This conduct of the said Messrs Rudo Nigeria Ltd is without doubt calculated to defraud the people of my senatorial district and embarrass me, who is the project facilitator.

“The people of the Enugu North senatorial district, the main beneficiaries of this project, are wondering what has gone wrong with a facility that was designed to boost commerce and agriculture in the area while creating wealth and generating employment.”

Eze, in the petition, prayed the Minister to “recover the mobilization paid to the said contractors since about May 2011, without anything to show for it, prosecute the contractors for fraud and award the contract for the construction of the dam and its related water components to a more experienced and trustworthy company, with proven expertise in dam construction”.

Efforts to get the official position of the contractors on the project have proved abortive as they could not be reached.