Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Alfred Berger (APC, Makurdi North)
The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Alfred Emberga, has issued a stern warning to Gerawa Global Engineering Nigeria Limited, threatening to drag the firm before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged abandonment of renovation work at the assembly complex.
During an inspection visit to the project site on Thursday in Makurdi, Emberga was shocked to find the premises under lock and key — with no signs of ongoing activity.
According to the Speaker, the contractor had initially pledged to complete the renovation by June, a promise that was later shifted to September. Both deadlines, however, came and went without delivery.
“He also assured us that he will complete the renovation and hand over the edifice to us in September. This promise too, he did not keep. He kept on reneging on his promises,” Emberga said.
Expressing strong dissatisfaction, Emberga declared that if the company fails to finish the project by the end of October, the government will revoke the contract and forward the case to the EFCC for further investigation.
“This is a fraudulent act. The governor paid him 100 per cent of the contract sum. The company has no reason to fail to deliver the job timely,” he added.
The Speaker further accused the contractor of attempting to deceive the assembly by deploying a handful of artisans during previous site visits to give the impression that work was in progress.
The recent visit, he said, exposed the true situation, with clear evidence that the project had been neglected. Emberga also raised concerns about the quality of the little work done so far, describing it as “substandard,” with visible cracks already appearing on some of the walls.
The controversy has now set the stage for what could become a legal and reputational battle for the contractor, should the EFCC be officially involved.
NAN
