Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure Development, Arch. Kabiru Ahmed Abdullahi has been accused of mismanaging state projects and sabotaging the present administration’s efforts.
This is contained in a petition seen by Lifestyle Nigeria forming the basis of the motion moved on Tuesday by House Committee Chairman on Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Olumuyiwa Abdulwahab Jimoh.
In the petition, it is alleged that in 2020, the Commissioner approved some contracts in which 70 per cent advance payments were made while the jobs have not commenced to date.
Some of the contracts awarded include the Construction of site offices/ gatehouses at Idogun, Lepia, Akodo, Alayande, Sangotedo, Ibashe, and Owode -Apa (Preliminary work on the creation of Waterfront Schemes).
The Commissioner was also accused of using his power to “frustrate Contractors by not approving further payments for completion of projects that are ongoing even though advance payments have been committed and the level of the job is about 55%. An example of such project is the Repair of Dilapidated Roof and Renovation of Office Block 10 (2nd and 3rd) occupied by the Ministry.”
The petition stressed that the Commissioner violated the Public Procurement law of the state, which prescribes a 30 per cent advance payment of the contract sum on projects awarded.
Parts of the petition read, “the Commissioner has the effrontery to approve between 40 and 70% as advance payment.”
“It is also difficult to envisage that the Commissioner could be working against the Greater Lagos Initiative of this administration. This is evident in the non-execution of projects on which 70% mobilization has been paid since 2020. It is important to note that some of the projects in question have six months completion period, yet job performance is 0% as of today.”
The Commissioner, it is alleged, refused to approve payment for ongoing projects in line with contractual agreements, and the petition called for urgent intervention.
In his motion on Tuesday, the Chairman lamented the Commissioner’s refusal to honour the invitation from his Committee. He urged the House to allow the committee to investigate all the projects awarded by the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure under Abdullahi.
He also demanded that the House pass a vote of no confidence on the Commissioner and withdraw his confirmation.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, however, appealed to House members to extend one last invitation to the Commissioner to appear before them on Thursday 15th September 2022.