Adamawa assembly, firm at loggerhead over N1.2bn contract

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

The management of Hyro-Source and Resources Company handling a N1.2 billion rural roads contract in Adamawa have threatened legal action against Adamawa House of Assembly over alleged defamatory remarks.
Management of the company through its Site Engineer, Anake Samuel, in a press conference on in Yola gave the assembly 48 hours to withdraw its statement accusing the company of conniving with the officials of the state Ministry of Rural Development and Rural Access and Mobility Company RAMP-2 to defraud the people of Adamawa.
Samuel said the company handling a N1.2 billion World Bank assisted contract under RAMP-2 had never failed in its responsibility and had completed 92 per cent of the job in line with specifications and would completed the rest in December.
“Since the award of these contracts to our company, we have never failed in the discharged of our responsibility and we have been working according to specification.
“The statements by the house are unfair and clearly designed to injure our reputation, to expose us to ridicule and to discredit us in our trade so that the people of can avoid us. Indeed these statements have caused odium shame and disgrace to us as a company.”
Samuel said failure to retract the statement within the stipulated time and the publication of the apology in two national dailies, the company would sue for N1 billion damages.
It could be recalled that, last Wednesday the Assembly threatened to issue warrant of arrest for three contractors including Hydro-Source for executing substandard job.
The House Majority Leader, Hassan Barguma (APC-Hong) issued the threat during a committee hearing organised by House Standing Committee on Community Development and Rural Infrastructure.
Barguma who expressed worry over the failure of the contractors to appear before the committee had directed the Commissioner of Ministry of Rural Infrastructure and Community Development, Alhaji Hassan Pakka, to liaise with the committee’s secretary for a new date for the contractors to appear or risk arrest.