The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Chief Sunday Elechi Inyima, has declared that the state government will introduce tougher measures against defaulting contractors to ensure the timely execution and delivery of public projects.
Inyima made the declaration on Wednesday in Abakaliki shortly after assuming office as the Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, following his redeployment from the Ministry of Capital City and Urban Development.
The commissioner said the era of abandoned projects, poor-quality execution and unnecessary delays in project delivery would soon become a thing of the past under the present administration.
He disclosed that the ministry, in collaboration with the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) and Special Assistant (SA) to the Governor on Project Monitoring, would activate a real-time monitoring system to closely track the progress of all government projects across the state.
According to him, the initiative will ensure that contractors who enter into agreements with the state government execute their projects according to specifications and complete them within the agreed timelines.
"As part of measures to guarantee compliance, I will be proposing that every contractor awarded a government contract should deposit a post-dated cheque, backed by a court affidavit, with the Office of the Accountant-General of the State, equivalent to the amount released to the contractor," he said.
Inyima further revealed that he would recommend to the Ebonyi State Executive Council the forwarding of a bill to the State House of Assembly for the establishment of a special court dedicated to handling contract-related disputes and cases involving defaulting contractors.
He explained that the proposed court would facilitate the speedy resolution of contractual disagreements, strengthen accountability in project execution and protect government investments.
The commissioner expressed confidence that the proposed reforms would eliminate unnecessary disputes, promote transparency and set clear terms of engagement between the state government and contractors.
He reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru's administration to delivering quality infrastructure and ensuring that every government project is completed on schedule for the benefit of the people of Ebonyi State.
