On a recent episode of the ENETSUD program, which aired on Royal FM on September 5th, 2023, former Commissioner for Works, Hon. Rotimi Iliasu Suleiman, was a guest speaker who joined the discussion via phone call.

During the program, various questions were posed to Hon. Rotimi, who provided insightful answers. The first question aimed to ascertain the exact contract sum for the Yebumot-Oloje-Adeta road, a 4.8km project. Hon. Rotimi clarified that he wasn’t able to provide the exact amount on the spot, as he preferred to check his records and the project’s documents. He emphasized his commitment to accuracy and noted that he had already handed over all relevant files to the Ministry, as they are the property of the Government.

In response to queries about the bidding process for the project, Hon. Rotimi explained the restricted tendering process, which allows the government to select contractors based on their track records at the state, national, and federal levels.

Regarding variation payments to the contractor, Hon. Rotimi stated that no variations had been paid, despite his requests for variations. He clarified that the contractor had received the standard 30% mobilization fee and nothing more.

When asked about the contract’s termination, Hon. Rotimi noted that the contract hadn’t been terminated while he was in office, but he had repeatedly written to the contractor, expressing dissatisfaction with the quality and progress of the work. He emphasized that if the contractor failed to meet the government’s standards, termination or revocation of the contract was inevitable.

On the project’s completion percentage, Hon. Rotimi highlighted that the exact figure wasn’t available, emphasizing that the priority should be the quality of the work rather than completion percentage.

In conclusion, when questioned about the payments made to the contractor before termination, Hon. Rotimi disclosed that the government had disbursed over 50% of the contract sum to the contractor.

The discussion shed light on the importance of transparency and accountability in governance and highlighted the commitment of Kwara State’s leadership to prudent resource management.