By Jimitota Onoyume
PORT HARCOURT— Rivers State government has given a marching order to communities to steer clear of contractors handling its projects in their areas.

Commissioner for  Works, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, who spoke while on inspection of road projects in some parts of the state, said the government would not tolerate situations where  some persons in the name of community youths or whatever, disrupt the government development programmes and plans for the state.

At some of the project sites, the commissioner lamented the quality of jobs and directed the contractors to ensure they complied with the job specification and also the schedule.  Commenting on the Abuja Bye-pass Mile Three road project, the commissioner said the contractor was embarrassing the state government. “The activity of the contractor here constitutes a very serious embarrassment to the government; it negates every principle of contractual agreement. I am disappointed. We will give them a maximum of two weeks to change.”

At Eleazu road, the commissioner gave directives to the contractor to immediately mobilize to site. He explained that the government was going to expand some parts of Rumuoku round about to create room for more vehicles and ease traffic.

Some of the ongoing  projects inspected in Port Harcourt and Obio Akpo local government included Rumuokwuta NTA Choba road, Rumuolumeni Shore Protection, New Lay out market, among others.

Slaughter Oginigba Rumubiokani road, Elekahia road, Abuja Bypass, UTC Azikiwe road etc.
Meanwhile at Bori and Eleme local government area, the Commissioner decried the quality of work going on at some of the internal link roads, directing the affected contractors to ensure they review their job quality to meet with the job specification.

“We are not happy with what is happening here. Some of the jobs have engineering problems which should be addressed. I am not impressed with some of the contractors, that there staff are not even on ground will not be accepted”, he said.

Dakuku who later spoke with news men at the end of the inspection said the government was doing everything possible to see that it made meaningful achievement in the area of road construction and other physical projects before the raining season sets in.  Nevertheless, he said the government would not tolerate poor quality jobs from contractors handling its projects.