By Adeola Badru

Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde on Monday inaugurated a 10- man committee to review projects and contracts awarded between 2017 and  2019 by the immediate-past administration in the state.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde

The committee which has four weeks to submit its recommendations is being headed by Engr. Damola Falade Fatila, who is currently the  Oyo State Chairman, Nigeria Society of Engineers.

In his remarks, Governor Makinde charged the committee to discharge their responsibility professionally and not witch-hunting and any form of political colouration.

“The committee he said is to among other things,  look at the position of some of the ongoing projects awarded and to ascertain if claims by some of the contractors justify the works being executed.

“We are looking at the position of some of the contracts. Some of the contracts were awarded and the contractors have been working and they have claims on the government. We want to be sure that the work they have done justifies what they are claiming”

“I want us to take one step further, some of these contracts and projects were awarded to contractors with no capacity for such assignment, so we want you to advise us whether the projects have gone on sufficiently that we may have to support the contractor currently handling such assignment.”

“You may have to tell us if they have done pretty well but the remainder of the job, they really may not be able to complete it in a timely fashion or tell us the price is right, the contractor is working well and they can meet the target in terms of quality of the job and in terms of schedule.”

The governor further said that if the four weeks given the committee was inadequate, the government should be notified in the second week, but urged the committee not to drag endlessly on the assignment but to be precise and come back with the report which would be acted upon immediately.

Also read: Oyo N30bN contract: My comments not against Ajimobi — MAKINDE

Governor Makinde emphasized that some of the projects were of very great importance to the socio-economic development of the state adding that his promise to the people of the state is that its infrastructure would target the economy of the state.

“Some of the projects may have been awarded on the need to have basics, but we all know that the resources we have are limited, some of the projects that the contractors haven’t done much, we may have to switch it to now target our economy”

“A case in mind that I know is a project that was awarded in Iseyin, but as somebody trying to target our economy, the road from Iseyin to Ikere Gorge dam would be number one priority for me in such an area,” he said.

He assured that the committee will be given a free hand to operate in the discharge of their assignment and will in no way influence the recommendations of the committee to suit a particular interest.

Speaking with newsmen after the inauguration, the committee’s chairman, Engr. Fatila assured that the committee would carry out its duties diligently and with enviable integrity, promising not to disappoint the citizens of the state.

Other members of the committee are: Prince Seun Adelore, Dr(Barr.) Idowu Oyeleke, Mr F. O Omokemi, Mr A. T Popoola, Mrs M.O Adesina,  Mr A. A  Olabiyi, Mr S.O Ogunjimi,  Mr T. O Odyniyi, and Mr O. A Poppola.

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