The governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi yesterday denied owing contractor handling low and high lifts Ivo water projects.
He, therefore, ordered him to go back to site or face the wrath of government.
Umahi who spoke to journalists in Abakaliki through the commissioner for Water Resources, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, expressed dismay that the contractor collected money from the state government but did not put the fund in the project.
It was gathered that the project was contracted at the sum of N1.2billion.
Mrs Nwali who accessed the level of work done at the mega water scheme, regretted the slow movement of the project, adding that the contractor had failed to cast the project.
“We contracted it out to Belfom Nig Ltd to do the low lift and high lift. I am not satisfied with the level of work. By now, they supposed to have casted the project. If you look at their site, it is very busy.
“I am calling on the contactor to come back to site and do the work. We have paid the contractor. He is claiming we are owing him but we have paid him. During mobilization, we paid him.
“He generated another certificate which we have cleared. Let the contractor finished the money the state government has given them. Let them put the money we gave them to work before we release another money to them”, she said.
She disclosed that Oferekpe mega water treatment plant has started delivering over 50,000 cubic meters of water daily to the people of the state to solve acute water problem in the area.
The commissioner further revealed that another mega water scheme in the state, Ezillo Water Treatment Plant was undergoing rehabilitation and will soon begin full operational services to complement the Oferekpe water scheme.
She described as falsehood, a media report that there was water scarcity in the state and called on the residents to visit the Ministry of Water Resources for connection of water from the distribution lines to their residence. “In addition, the ministry is laying new lines to connect other communities outside Abakaliki to ensure that water gets to the nooks and cranny of the state”, Nwali stated.
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