By Ezekilel Dontinna
Contract for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Mangu Market gully erosion intervention site, a World Bank Assisted Project, has been signed by Nigeria Erosion and Water-shed Management Project (NEWMAP) in Plateau State.
This took place during the NEWMAP signing ceremony for the engagement of contractor last Monday, held at the Joseph Gomwalk Secretariat in Jos, the capital.
While signing the contract, the state Project Coordinator of NEWMAP Engr. Levi Gofwen disclosed that Gvernor Simon Bako Lalong, had earlier paid over six hundred and thirty million Naira (N630m) to World Bank as counterpart fund since the inception of the project.
He said,” eventually, two sites out of the five were approved and we are looking forward to sign the second one. The Mangu gully erosion sites threaten the community around and there are many shops. In the course to solve this, it is going to impact on the lives of the people.
“After this ceremony, the project will swing into action to make sure that it is completed on time. This is critical because the life span of NEWMAP exit in 2021 and so, we will not condone any act of delay or any act of sabotage from any quarters”, Gofwen warned.
On his part, the state Commissioner of Environment, Hon. Idi Usman Yakubu, thanked Governor Simon Lalong, for giving NEWMAP free hand to operate and also commended the management of NEWMAP for doing wonderfully according to the World Bank Standard.
He, therefore, urged the contractor to take this work seriously, because the project was key to Plateau people, calling on the benefitting community leaders to cooperate with the contractor for him to give them quality work.
Also, the Director General of Plateau State Bureau for Public Procurement, (BPP), Builder Peter Dogo, said, out of the five projects airmarked for rehabilitation could only be possible if the contractor deliver according to the terms and condition of the contract, hence the need for him to be proactive.
Responding, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Apex Project Limited, the contracting firm, Emmanuel N. Ewah, thanked Plateau State Government and World Bank for finding them qualified to carry out this work and promised to do the very best to keep their track record going with top quality.
Meanwhile, the Plateau State Head of Civil Service, Mr Izam Azi prayed that the project would not end up as an abandoned project that would lead to litigation and warned against any act of interference by any staff to sabotage government’s effort.
However, the District Head of Mangu Miskaham John Hirse, said this marked a milestone in the lives of Mangu people and promised to give the contractor the needed support for the contractor to do a good job.
