BEVERLY HILLS, November 06, (THEWILL) – The upgrade of Asaba International Airport in the Delta State capital may have again suffered another setback.
This is as the contractor handling the project has allegedly ‘sold’ the contract awarded to his firm but allegedly refused to release the agreed project sum to the purported new buyer.
Local sources close to the development said the initial approved project sum was N2.5billion but was allegedly slashed to N500 million by the contractor under controversial circumstances.
THEWILL recalls that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had on account of alleged lapses in the runway and taxiways downgraded the Asaba international airport.
The initial contract for the construction of the airport was awarded by former governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to the controversial company whose several projects in Delta have either failed or abandoned.
Sources further revealed that the State House of Assembly had following a request by Okowa, approved the loan facility of N5.021 billion to enable ULO Consortium carry out the project work but for reasons yet to be fathomed, ULO allegedly transferred the contract to a Chinese firm with ties to former Senate President, Senator David Mark, after a deal was brokered between the firms and the governor.
However, ULO Consortium, owned by businessman Uche Okpunor, had allegedly slashed the contract sum leaving a paltry sum of N500 million for the Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCEC) which is also handling a Navy Secondary School project in the state.
THEWILL learnt that, CCEC following the development, rejected the project, which is why the upgrade has been stalled.
“You know our company has been working at the Navy Secondary School project at Ibusa. So we were approached by the chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ULO Consultants Limited, Mr. Uche Okpunor, the initial constructing firm handling the Asaba international airport.
“The chairman after all discussions, sold to us the contract for the upgrade of the airport at an agreed amount of N2.5 billion… But we were given just N500 million and we rejected the money because that was not our initial agreement.
“N5billion, we learnt, was approved and released… But we were made to also understand that the sum of N2.5billion was for the airport upgrade which we agreed on with ULO… We will not go to site unless the full money is released to CCEC,” a source from the Chinese company said.
All efforts to reach Okpunor for his reaction to the allegation proved abortive when filing this report.
*** This report has been edited for clarity and correctness.
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