The Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, on Saturday, gave the contractor handling its N7.6bn ultra-modern mega Park till the end of September to complete the project.
The project was awarded by the immediate past administration of Ibrahim Dankwambo, in 2012, at the initial contract sum of N3.2bn. It was said to have gulped almost N2.8bn and attained only 43 per cent completion status before being abandoned as of August 2020.
Our correspondent reports that the ultra-modern mega park was constructed by AG Ferraro under global associates as consultants comprising civil and building works and is ready for utilisation, containing several buildings among which is the main terminal building four taxi lines, and four bus lines.
Others are one luxury bus line, two mosques, a motel, two offices, a police and fire building, a clinic, a workshop, retail shops, truck parking and cashier offices.
According to the consultants, “All of the facilities are substantially completed.”
Speaking during the inspection of the project, Yahaya decried the pace of work, urging contractors to round off work for the transfer of parks to the designated point.
According to the governor, the huge investment in the project should be justified through timely completion to benefit all.
He said, “We need to create room for development. We have invested 7.6 billion naira here and there is no reason people should not benefit from that investment that is why I’m insisting the contractor has been lagging behind.
“I will charge you if you don’t finish by September end, we will charge you because N7.6 billion is a lot of money and we are moving several motor parks to this place and already we want to implement the project on those other sites. Movement here has become necessary, so no waste of time any longer.”
Investigating further the reason for the delay, the governor asked the consultants if they were owing the contractors, but he responded by saying no, “No Kobo (is being owed), so you have no reason whatsoever not to deliver.”
Speaking on how best to recoup the huge sum invested in building the park Yahaya said they were largely sourced through loans.
“Mind you, we got the money through a bond meaning a post-dated payment that were have been doing in instalment that has not ended. We have ceded the park to Gombe Revenue Optimisation Company Limited. It will in tandem with the unions ensure that the money is recouped over time. I’m sure we will recover the cost take that from me,” Yahaya said.
Yahaya also embarked on inspection visits to the Sharia Court of Appeal, North-East International Market (Bauchi Motor Park), BAP 4 Zone (behind International Hotel) and Water Board-Tike Road, Pantami.N7bn motor park: Gombe gives contractor September to complete project.
