By Gbenga Ojikutu
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has affirmed that his administration is not owing any of the contractors handling various projects in the State, saying that they ( the contractors) have no excuse not to deliver on time and to specification.
Governor Oyebanji, who stated this in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend while inspecting various road and drainage rehabilitation projects in the state capital, added that the purpose of any responsible and responsive government is to ensure that its citizens enjoy good life and live in prosperity.
Among the ongoing roads construction he inspected included; the GRA 3rd extension; Ajilosun – Ikere; Agric. Olope – Matthew street and Midas area on Ado – Iworoko road.
Oyebanji stressed that government was making concerted efforts to ensure permanent solution to the perennial flooding at the Ado end of Ado-Iworoko road and in some parts of the state.
Governor Oyebanji, who was accompanied by some state officials also commended some of the contractors handling the projects for a job well done. He also notified those whose works he found unsatisfactory on the need to brace up.
His words; “I came to inspect the progress recorded because contractors made some promises to us and I am here to cross check the promise against what they have done.
“You know the purpose of government is to make life easy for the citizens and if you know the history of this place very well, this place gets flooded every year and we have resolved that this year, we must ensure that people can move freely and nobody is disrupted, though we have not gotten to where we want to get to but it is work in progress.
“Well, so far so good, I am impressed with some of the contractors. I am not happy with some because of the pace of work. I have fixed a meeting with such contractors, so we can discuss. I will ask why they are not moving at the pace they should be moving because to the best of my knowledge government is not owing them any money.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the inspection, the contractor handling Ado – Iworoko road, Engr. Habib Monrad assured residents of the state that with the level of work already done on the road, the issue of flooding at that portion of the road had become a thing of the past.
