Jigawa settles N16bn previous govt roads liabilities

THE Jigawa state government has paid over N16 billion out of the N37 billion road projects debt inherited from the previous Peoples Democratic Party administration.

This was disclosed by the state commissioner of works and transport Engineer Aminu Usman Gumel while speaking to newsmen in Dutse while reviewing his ministry’s performance in 2017, he said: “the debts was for 15 roads projects covering 476 kilometres.”

Engineer Aminu Usman Gumel explained that “out of the more than 15 road projects we inherited, so far about 11 have been completed and some commissioned, while the remaining are all at completion level and to be commissioned in the first quarter of the next year.”

According to him, the previous administration had awarded a contract worth over 54 billion out of which only 17 billion was paid leaving a debt of over 16 billion.

“When governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar takes the mantle of leadership of the state met only N16 million in the state treasury with over N7 billion contracts certificates waiting for payment,” Usman emphases.

He noted that the governor through the ministry summons a meeting with all the constructions firms handling the road projects, “in the meeting with the contractors, they agreed to offer a discount of 10 to 15 percent discount amounting to over N5 billion of the total amount”.

The government also agreed that the contractors continue with the projects on the agreed quality and completion period.