By Abdullahi Tukur Birnin Kebbi.
The Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Nasir Idris, has approved the constitution of a committee to investigate the status of the abandoned contract for the construction of the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge and Hotel in Kaduna.
The approval was conveyed through the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, following concerns over the long-abandoned project, which was initiated under the erstwhile military administration.
The committee is mandated to, among other responsibilities, ascertain the legal status of the project and determine whether the contractor reconciled with the Kebbi State Government as earlier advised by the then Solicitor General after the revocation of the contract. It’s also to identify the current status of the abandoned project and investigate the reasons behind its abandonment.
Other terms of reference of the committee include, finding out the circumstances that led to the revocation of the contract by the State Government, as well as identifying both the initial and reviewed contract sums awarded for the project.
The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed BK, Special Adviser on Due Process, Surajo Garba Bagudo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Ahmad Umar Yarima, and Director of Architecture and Building, Ministry of Works, Director, EXCO, Kabiru Hassan Wasagu, will serve as Secretary of the committee.
The committee was given two weeks within which to complete its assignment and submit a comprehensive report to the State Government.
Governor Idris has reiterated his administration’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and due process in the execution of public projects, stressing that abandoned government assets must be properly reviewed and addressed in the best interest of the people of Kebbi State.
