Reps query permanent secretary over N1.4b abandoned road project

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday queried the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Dr. Yakubu Adam, over the abandoned Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road project, for which a full payment of N1.46 billion had been made.

The Committee Chairman, Hon. Bamidele Salam, raised the concern when the Permanent Secretary appeared before the panel after missing two previous invitations on the matter.

Salam noted that the project was financed by a loan from the Federal Government.

At the end of the hearing, the Committee ordered the Permanent Secretary to reappear on Monday and submit all relevant documents related to the project by Friday. This, he said, would allow the Committee to review the documents for a thorough investigation.

Salam stated, “You were invited regarding an exercise about to commence, which involves the inspection of critical national assets, especially roads constructed in the last five years.

“Information from the Debt Management Office shows that several roads were funded through loans obtained by the Federal Government. Specifically, the Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road in Kaduna State, awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works on October 5, 2022, with a contract sum of N1.461 billion to Messrs Jam Jam Dynamic Platform Limited, is of interest.

“This road was supposed to be completed within 12 months. However, there is an allegation that the road, awarded in 2022, has not even commenced, despite full payment by the Ministry to the contractor.

“As a committee committed to fairness, we believe in giving all parties a fair hearing. We requested documents to clarify the road’s status and expect that you will provide insight to help the committee determine the truth behind the claim that the road has been completed while full payment has been made to the contractor.”

In response, the Permanent Secretary clarified that the amount paid was not for the entire 133-km stretch but for a portion of the road.

He explained that the project was being executed in phases due to limited funds and expressed surprise that the road had not yet been started. He also apologised for missing the previous invitations, explaining that they had not reached him.