BY Abdallah el-Kurebe
Sokoto—The House of Representatives has raised alarm over alleged discripances in the contracts for the repairs of the damaged Gorony Dam Spillway and also asked officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to appear before it for explanations over the matter.

Chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Bahago Ahman-Pategi who made this known said that contract details before the House indicated that the job was awarded at a cost of N3.8billion while the contractors handling the job said they were actually executing it at the cost of N2.5billion, thus showing a difference of N1.3billion.

Ahman-Pategi spoke during an inspection of the Dam, Monday by members of his committee.

The Project Manager of Gilmor Engineering Company Ltd, the contracting firm handling the repairs of the Dam, Mr. Dubi Haasz said that the contract sum for the project was N2.5 billion but an astonished Ahman- Pategi countered the Project Manager saying that the details of the contract made available to his Committee by Ministry officials indicated that the job was given out for N3.8 billion to which the company officials objected.

“I am disappointed in the whole process of the award of this contract. Unfortunately, there is no one on the side of the Ministry to answer some questions.

‘’We must ask relevant questions for which answers must be provided.You are telling us that the contract sum for the repairs is N2.5billion but what we have as the contract sum is N3.8billion.

“Again, there is no letter of award of the contract and there is nothing from the Ministry to show details of the contract. It means that the Ministry or Management of Rima Basin cannot even supervise the activities of the contractors.

‘’How do we ensure quality for the money that is being spent here?

“We are inviting the Minister and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Water Resources, the contractor, the contract Consultant and the Managing Director of Rima Basin Development Authority to appear before this Committee today, to explain why the disparity in contract sum and why there was no due process in the award of the contract,” Hon. Pategi

retorted rather angrily.

The tour was to enable the Committee assess the problems of the Goronyo Dam as well as visit all communities affected by last year’s flood in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States respectively.