Following the conclusion of the meeting, the Rivers State Executive Council (RSG) has approved contracts worth N74.9 billion across the State House of Assembly Auditorium, roads, and hospitals within the state.
The meeting, which was held on Friday at the Government House in Port Harcourt, was spearheaded by Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the presence of Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu and other council members at the government cabinet.
In the health sector, the council approved the various following hospitals for renovation, upgrading, construction, and reconstruction within the state: N26,350,310,714.88.
They include the renovation of Bonny General Hospital; the renovation and upgrade of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital; Rumuigbo construction of a new general hospital at Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
With the aim of improving “secondary level healthcare service delivery to the people of the state,” the council decided to approve the completion of four zonal hospitals across the state located at Ahoada Town in Ahoada Local Government; Degema Town in Degema Local Government; Omoku Town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government; and Bori Town in Khana Local Government Area.
Dr. Adaeze Oreh, the Commissioner of Health, appreciated the RSC for their approval, which came after their proposal was submitted to the council, and also appealed that the contract should be awarded to competent contractors.
The statement read, “Dr. Oreh explained that the State Executive Council also approved that, following the termination of the previously awarded contracts, fresh contracts should be awarded to new competent contractors who have the capacity to deliver on those projects.”
Roland Obed-Whyte, the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Special Projects, acknowledges that the reconstruction and furnishing of the Rivers State House of Assembly Auditorium Complex have been awarded.
He described the project as being made up of about 34 ensuite offices, a two-story building with an elevator, a gallery, meeting rooms, and a conference hall.
He explained, “This contract has been awarded to Monier Construction Company Nigeria Limited (MCC) at the cost of N19, 566, 621, 284. 24 kobo with a completion duration of 9 months.”
Another project approved by the council was the “construction of the 5.75 km long Kalaibiama-Epellema Road, with a 450-meter-long bridge and carriageway of 10.3 meters with solar lights.”
However, the Kalaibiama-Epellema Road and Bridge in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area was awarded a staggering sum of N29,035,907,233.76, and the project connected four to five communities in that locale.
He further stated that 30 percent of the funds will be paid as promised.
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Ine Briggs, the acting Director General of the Rivers State Bureau for Public Procurement (RSBOPP), said the agency had issued certificates of no objection to each of the projects after scrutinizing the various projects.
“Considering all these projects approved today by the Rivers State Executive Council, the Bureau is glad to inform the general public that it has duly carried out its regulatory function in ensuring that value for money has been met, the economy has been met, and fitness for purpose has been met in defending the stakeholders’ position in the expenditure of funds from the state.
“So, the Bureau has issued a certificate of no objection for the two projects from the Ministry of Special Projects and the projects for the Ministry of Health.
“The Bureau wants to assure the public that it will carry out its oversight functions to ensure that quality specifications, as enshrined in the approvals, will be met, and the people will feel their government, and that is our assurance as a regulatory body,” Briggs narrated.
