Reps summon minister, contractors over shoddy housing, road projects

The Chairman, House Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning, Awaji-Inombek Abiante Dagomi, has directed the clerk of the committee to officially invite the Minister of Urban Development and Regional Planning, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, and four contractors handling roads and housing projects in Akwa Ibom State to appear on Thursday unfailingly.

This, according to the lawmaker, will acquaint the committee with the challenges and limitations propelling the current unsatisfied level of the projects implementation.

He gave the directive during the tour of Renewed Hope Estate Project in Uyo and Umu Etuk-Spencer Esin slum road network upgrade in Oron over the weekend.

Chairman and members of the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the level of implementation of the two projects and berated the four contractors.

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Rep. Abiante, who lamented the level of implementation of the 250 housing units in Uyo by three separate contractors, informed that despite being funded up to 30 per cent each by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the work done so far was less than six per cent.

The lawmaker added that the project, which was awarded in June 2024, ought to have been completed since September 2024.

The committee chairman said there is need for the Minister of Housing and Urban Development to engage sincere and experienced contractors in the implementation of federal projects.

He therefore called for the total reconstruction of the Umu Etuk-Spencer Esin road slum upgrade.

He said, ”The contractor that handled this Oron road project succeeded in wasting funds allocated to it on substandard materials. As you can see the visible deplorable state of a road newly constructed in July this year, aiming to ameliorate the sufferings of the people living in this region. The committee is not happy with this situation.

“The three different contractors namely Springwell Intercontinental Resources, Tunsoye Trust Global Link and Hyosungs Nigeria Limited handling the 250 housing units in Uruan, Uyo Capital City and this slum upgrade road in Oron Local Government Area by Logine Limited, have pure intentions to sabotage the efforts of the renewed hope housing scheme of the President Bola Tinubu led administration”.