By Andy Asemota
The Senate has directed the Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, to formally terminate the contract for a road project abandoned since 2011 and recover N145 million released for the project eventually executed free of charge by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

The resolution is the sequel to the report of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in respect of a petition from Pastor Niyi Adebanjo on behalf of the RCCG against Cartil Construzioni Nigeria Limited for unjustly claiming the sum of N151, 508,901.22 as reimbursement for the rehabilitation of Ife-Ifewara Road, Osun State, which was actually rehabilitated by the church.

Presenting the report, the committee chairman, Patrick Akinyeure (Ondo Central), revealed that Pastor E.A. Adeboye was contacted to help rehabilitate the Ife-Ifewara Road as his contribution to the development of his state origin and Nigeria.

According to him, the RCCG Camp Project carried out the rehabilitation of the road at various stages and periods between 2016 and 2019 in the sum of N188,440,342.

The Upper Chamber heard that the rehabilitation of the road began from Erunwa Junction, Ife and terminated at the Garage opposite the Palace of Ifewara, a distance of 8.2km, before the Nigerian Correctional Service at Ifewara requested RCCG to extend the rehabilitation work to the portion of the road leading to its premises, which the church graciously did.

He said the church submitted that Cartil Construzioni Nigeria Ltd unjustly received N151, 508,01.22 from the Federal Government for the rehabilitation executed by the church and if any refund were to be made, the sum N188 million being the total sum of the contract should be paid to Pastor Adeboye.

On the other hand, the company engaged by the Federal Ministry of Works in 2010 for the rehabilitation stated that the contract was awarded for the total sum of N662,760,771.75, but only N145 million had been released by the Federal Government and the 15km road was ongoing, adding that the contract is being supervised by the ministry of works in Abuja through its zonal office in Osogbo, Osun State.

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The Senate report revealed that the Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, speaking on behalf of the ministry, stated that the contractor of the constituency project of a former member of the National Assembly with a completion date of 7th December 2011, only achieved 26.21 percent completion since 2011 and stopped work on the site.

He said the ministry neither made any payment to the contractor for the rehabilitation of the road between 2016 and 2019 nor did the company make any unjust claim from the ministry within the above dates.

Based on the findings, the Senate commended the church for alleviating the suffering of the Ife-Ifewara community by rehabilitating the road and urged the works ministry to formally terminate the contract awarded to Cartil Construzini Nigeria Ltd and also recover the sum of N145 million being the amount released to the contractor before it abandoned the project.

The Upper Legislative Chamber however urged the Federal Ministry of Works not to make any refund to RCCG for rehabilitating the road because the church rehabilitated the road as Corporate Social Responsibility support to Osun State.