Gaidam Inspects Damaturu Water Scheme

Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam has threatened to revoke the contract for the construction of the Damaturu regional Water Scheme which was awarded to UNIPUMP Nigeria limited for delay in completion of work.

He issued the threat, yesterday, when he visited the site on Gashua road and expressed dissatisfaction at the slow pace of work on the project.

The water scheme was formerly an agreement between the federal government and the Yobe state government as regards the civil and electrical works, and the construction was under the National Water Rehabilitation Project. The contract was signed in 1997 at the sum of N3.6 billion.

The federal government, which later withdrew its support for the project, had paid 30 percent of the total sum with which the work started. But the state government under the former Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim could not redeem its counterpart funding which led to the stoppage of work by the contractor.

However, because of the importance the project to the state, Governor Gaidam recently re-awarded the contract to UNIPUMP Nig Ltd, at the sum of N1.145 billion.

Although the contractor told the governor that they were hindered by the security situation in the state, he also said that the company has brought other accessories worth N600 million to the site which includes rubber pipes and generators.

But the governor made it clear that he was not impressed by the pace of work.

“I am not impressed. I am very much worried and concerned about your not paying attention to the structural and civil works.