The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee launched a probe on Tuesday into the alleged abandoned Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road project in Kaduna state, which is valued N1.46 billion.
The committee expressed its unhappiness during an investigation hearing in Abuja on Tuesday, questioning the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Works, Dr Yakubu Adam, over the project.
The session focused on the inspection of vital national assets, particularly roads developed within the last five years.
Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun), the committee’s chairman, stated that the money for the project was a loan from the federal government.
“Information we received from the Debt Management Office indicated the number of roads were even undertaken with loans taken by the federal government.
“But in particular, a particular road with the title Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road in Kaduna State awarded by the Federal Ministry of Works on the October 5, 2022 and the sum of N1.461 billion paid to Messrs Jam Jam Dynamic Platform Limited.
“This road was supposed to be completed within 12 months; there is an allegation that the road awarded in 2022 has not been started as we speak and there has been full payment of the sum by the Federal Ministry of Works to the contractor concerned,” he said.
Salam stated that as a committee that values equity, they asked that the permanent secretary appear in person to address questions after he failed to respond to multiple invitations.
However, in his response, the permanent secretary clarified that the cash did not cover the entire 133-kilometer section of road.
He added that the money was just for a segment of the road and that the route would be completed in phases owing to a lack of cash.
The official, however, expressed surprise that the road had not been completed since the contract was awarded by the ministry based on the report accessible to the committee.
He apologized to the committee for not honouring earlier invitations, claiming that they had not reached him.
The committee determined that the permanent secretary must return on Monday, November 4, and present all project-related documentation by Friday, November 1.
Salam stated in his order that timely submission of papers will allow the committee to analyze them and conduct a thorough investigation into the case.
“We asked for certain documents to be provided and we expect that you would provide us with better insight so the committee can take a decision on the best way to ascertain the truthfulness of the claim that the road has been done, while full payment has been effected to the contractor,” he said.
