By Emeka Aginam

The Computer Professionals’ (Registration Council of Nigeria) CPN, has debunked rumours that the contract for its Abuja Centre of Excellence Building has been re-awarded to a new contractor.

The clarification, according the President/Chairman of Council, Prof. Vincent Asor, has become necessary due to rumour making the round that the initial contractor handling the project has been sacked. Asor who issued a statement made available to Vanguard Homes & Property denied the insinuation.

Prof. Vincent Asor

“For the avoidance of doubt, no contract has been cancelled or terminated and neither has a new contractor been engaged or contract re-awarded to anybody,” he posited.

Giving details of the contract, the university don explained that the CPN Centre of Excellence Building in Abuja was started over five years ago.

“The building contractor since then has been AE&E Associates with funding for the project coming from the capital development fund allocations from the Federal Government. Though the project was initially awarded for completion over a six month duration, steady rise in the costs of materials and paucity of funds from the government, couldn’t allow the work to progress as planned.”

“Renewal of rent for the current rented apartment where CPN’s Abuja office has been located over the last ten years has become unaccommodating with the little funds from government and internally generated revenue. The rent for the current year, 2015, expired on October 31st 2015.

Prior to the expiration of the rent, the landlord had indicated his intention to increase the rent again. The Council at her 75th regular meeting of 9th October, 2015 resolved that resources should be directed at making a wing of the ground floor habitable so that the Abuja office can move in. This was considered a better alternative than paying rent for another year.

“Following there from, the landlord magnanimously gave CPN about six weeks grace to locate to her new office. It was in view of this that a supervisor was engaged to coordinate the various direct labourers hired to make a wing on the ground floor of the uncompleted Centre of Excellence Building habitable for staff to use in the interim as a measure to save cost and time considering the limited resources available,” the CPN boss added.