Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has sent a strong warning to contractors handling government projects, declaring that any contractor delivering substandard work will be made to refund the money paid.
The governor made this declaration during the ‘Dinner with the governor’ held on Tuesday at the Event Center, Asaba, with the College of Permanent Secretaries, Directors, Deputy Directors, and heads of MDAs in attendance.
Gov. Oborevwori, while addressing the gathering, revealed that he personally monitors reports on project execution through a dedicated whistle-blowing line that he manages himself.
He cited a recent case in Achala-Ibusa, where a contractor attempted to resume work without properly clearing debris from the site.
“You know I also have a whistle-blowing line, I’m the one managing it, nobody is managing it for me. In my spare time, I look at the reports, and it’s already working.
“Somewhere, we went for this inspection in Achala-Ibusa early this year, and the contractor went back to site. Do you know what he did? Without even removing the debris, he started tipping sand.
“Somebody took a picture and sent it to me immediately. I forwarded it to the commissioner for highways and also to the director, Agboloje. They went there at once, and in two days, they discovered it,” the governor said.
The governor lamented the attitude of local contractors, stressing that the biggest challenge to quality project execution is not multinational firms but indigenous contractors.
“The problem we are having is not the multinationals, it’s our indigenous contractors. They cannot succeed if our designated site engineers are doing their jobs. If you are doing your job, there is no point in me going to sites,” he said.
He further warned erring contractors, making it clear that payment does not guarantee impunity for substandard work.
“If you are doing a bad job, even though you have been paid, you will refund the money paid to you. I don’t know why they don’t want to learn, especially with what happened recently,” he emphasized.
Gov. Oborevwori also reassured government officials that payments are not delayed, stating that contractors have no excuse for not delivering quality work.
The governor also urged civil servants to maintain integrity, revealing that he had to personally intervene to prevent the dismissal of certain officials who were found complicit in corruption.
During the event, Delta State Head of Service, Dr. Reginald Bayoko, commended the governor for organizing the dinner, describing it as the first of its kind in Delta State’s history.
