Authorities of University of Benin (UNIBEN), Benin City, have threatened revocation of contracts awarded over alleged shoddy work.
The pro-chancellor and chairman governing council of the university, Isah Ashiru, said this during inspection of ongoing capital projects in the institution.
Any project that does not comply with project specification will be revoked, Ashiru said.
According to Ashiru, so far so good, the contractors in some projects have done excellently well and I am happy with what I have seen. “But, the few that have problems, the contractors handing them have been invited to the Council’s chamber. We will sort that one out. It is not in our interest or that of Nigerians to accept shoddy work,” he said.
The pro-chancellor, who however expressed satisfaction with the level of work done by most of the contractors, assured that the projects would be commissioned by March 2018, after this year’s convocation ceremony scheduled for this month.
In his remark, the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, represented by a deputy director, Federal Ministry of Education, Charity Orgar, commended the management of the institution for the giant strides recorded in infrastructural development.
“We have seen good work here. We have also seen work that is ongoing. Together, we have comments and observations, and we hope that with appropriate funds, things will get better.
“I have seen wonderful projects here compared to other institutions that I have visited in Nigeria, and I have given him, the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Faraday Orumwense necessary advice to make everything get better,” he said.
Also speaking, director in the Department of Projects and Planning (DPP) of the university, Timmy Ikhisemojie, noted that most of the projects were being undertaken by the NEEDS assessment and TETFUND
Ikhisemojie, who said the projects were spread across site A and B in Ugowo and Ekehuan campuses of the university, however, appealed to the Federal Government to assist the institution in funding of the ongoing projects.
Projects inspected include, a proposed 300-capacity female hostel, post-graduate students’ hostels for male and female, which were the 2012/2013 NEEDS assessment projects; the proposed Block 24 College of Medical Sciences in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the university, funded by the Federal Government but, had been abandoned.
Others are the proposed 500-sitting capacity lecture theatre of Science Laboratory Technology funded by TETFUND, proposed 500-capacity lecture theatre and office block for staff in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics as well as Computer Sciences in the Department of Mathematics.
Also inspected are the proposed library complex at Ekehuan Campus of the university, which was among the 2012/2013 NEEDS assessment project, and the Centre of Excellence for Reproduction Health Initiative (CERHI) – World Bank assisted project at Ugbowo Campus of the school.
