Three contracts awarded between 2013 and May 2019 by the administration of former Governor Abdulaziz Yari have been revoked by the Zamfara State government.
Commissioner of Information, Suleiman Tunau, announced the revocation of the over N80 billion contracts yesterday at the end of the inaugural state executive council meeting at the Government House.
According to the commissioner, a contract of rural electrification project in the 14 local government areas of the state was awarded to Alliance Trading Company in 2013 at over N25.9 billion on which over N22.5 billion was paid but that the project had only reached 67 per cent completion over the years.
Similarly, the commissioner stated that China Zhanghao was awarded 84 boreholes for rural water scheme in phase one and two in 2013 and 2018 respectively.
He said the cost of the Phase I stood at N27.5 billion to which over N19.3 billion was paid with 75 per cent completion while the second phase cost the state government N27.6 billion on which over N14.4 billion was paid to the contractor and 13 per cent work had been achieved.
The commissioner said that all the contracts had been suspended and a Projects Verification Committee had already invited and discussed with the contractors where they were asked to refund the money for which work had not been done.
Stating that the committee would give details in its report at the end of the verification, lamented that the state government was not happy over the way the contracts sum were overshot.
The two contracts were part of the early issues the Bello Mohammed Matawalle-led Peoples Democratic Party administration questioned when it took over power in May.
When the issues came up, the former governor and his aides defended the contracts at various meetings with reporters where they gave details regarding the quantum of the projects and the derivable benefits to the people of the state.
