Edo Indoor Sports Hall: FG explains contract logjam

PRESS RELEASE ON THE REHABILITATION OF INDOOR SPORTS HALL / GYMNASIUM, ETETE GRA, BENIN, EDO STATE
The indoor Sports Hall Complex, Etete, Benin City in Edo State and its adjoin land suffered a lot of dilapidation and land encroachment and in order to address this dual issues, the Ministry has been proposing budget line for the past three (3) Budgetary Years without success until the passage of 2020 Appropriation Act in which the National Assembly was magnanimous in approving the budget line.
The scope of work / brief for the implementation of the budget line through a project by the Ministry are always; Rehabilitation / Renovation and Erecting one, two, three, four Ancillary Facilities in order to add value to the Indoor Sports Hall complex; the ancillary facilities are Kitchen and Restaurant, Gate House, Public Toilets and Perimeter Fencing etc..
However, before the release of funds to the Ministry, the Edo State Government volunteered and rehabilitated the Indoor Sports Hall through mutual understanding with the Ministry as part of the preparation towards yet to be hosted 2020 National Sports Festival (Edo 2020)
After the release of funds for 2020 Capital Budget, the Ministry went ahead and awarded a contract for the same Generic Contract Title but the scope of work are the construction of the above mentioned units with exemption of Perimeter Fencing for the complex due to inadequate funding. Examples of this are many in the country, even in the Ministry where a number of contract awards can read the same generic project title – “Construction of Youth development Centre in the same particular town” with different type / number of a particular unit being constructed. However, the contractor went beyond his bound by not getting approval from the supervisory team as to the erection and to information on the bill board,
The contractor has recently completed the construction of Restaurant and Kitchen block and about to start the construction of Gate House and Public Toilet.
At this juncture, it is important to note that the executed project by Edo State Government and the one being executed by the Ministry are not the same but complimentary. The controversy only arose because the officials of Edo Sports Commission did not have adequate information from the Ministry’s officials on or before the site was handed over to the contractor.
Furthermore, It is noteworthy to point out here that the Indoor Sports Hall, Etete and its adjoin land, as at today belongs to the Federal Government not discounting the interest being shown by Edo State Government to have the edifice transfer to it; and presently should not expect the contractor to take site instructions from her officials.
From above, it is clear that there is no duplication of efforts or double spending on the same scope of work.
By this Press Release, the Ministry’s contractor can go back to the site and ensure completion of the other facilities in line with Bills of Quantities while communication gap in between the Ministry and Edo State Government are being plugged.