The Niger State House of Assembly Joint Committees on Works/Infrastructure and Health/Nutrition has ordered the immediate suspension of the ongoing construction work at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) University Teaching Hospital, Minna.
The decision followed an inspection of the construction site, where the committees cited poor performance and irregularities as the reasons for the suspension.
Chairman of the House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Arc. Suleiman Abubakar Gomna, expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress, noting that the work completed so far did not justify the over N9 billion already released by the state government.
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Arc. Gomna emphasized that the 10th Assembly will not tolerate any form of lawlessness or compromise on standards.
He added that the contractors responsible for the project must appear before the committee to address necessary corrections and safeguard the N18 billion project.
Chairman of the House Committee on Health and Nutrition, Hon. Pharm. Umar Nasir (Paikoro), underscored the significance of the project, which is expected to serve the entire state.
He stressed that as representatives of the people, the Assembly will not stand by and allow individuals to sabotage the efforts of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago in fulfilling his New Niger Agenda.
Earlier, the Director of Public Buildings at the Ministry of Works, Architect Salihu Muhammad Wonigi, lamented the contractor’s failure to adhere to instructions, noting that the issue of consultancy has been misunderstood in the state.
In response, Architect Jibril Danlami Musa, representing the contractor Think Lab Group, stated that they had received an advance payment of over 50% from the state government to ensure no sharp practices occur. He assured that they would deliver a quality project in accordance with specifications.
