…says her ministry is open for criticism

By Abdul Momoh

The Kwara State Honorable Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Fatimoh Bisola Ahmed has assured quality job delivery at the ongoing rehabilitation of schools across the state.

She stated this while briefing newsmen in her office on Thursday.

It will recalled that the Kwara State House of Assembly on Wednesday summoned the commissioner alongside the contractors handling various projects in the state to appear before it over the poor quality of some projects.

According to her, ‘it is the duty of this ministry to ensure that quality works are done at the various sites where rehabilitation of schools are still ongoing as we will not compromise standard’.

“I want to say that our ministry is open for criticism be it from the public or from the Honorable members of the House of Assembly.

“I want to assure you that we would not compromise standard on the projects anywhere, the projects are still ongoing and if there is any observation made, we will make sure that necessary corrections are done and the contractors will move back to the site as soon as possible, ” she noted.

Continuing, ‘I have being to all the sites across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state. When I went to the site I corrected some observed mistakes which I believed the contractors are working on it. So the projects are ongoing, not completed. ‘

“Series of meetings have been held with contractors here in my office emphasising quality job delivery. I toured all the project sites across the 3 senatorial zones, all the defects noticed were pointed out by my team ( experts from the project unit of the ministry).

“We have the pictorial evidence of all these , and the contractors have no option than to do the needful. The Government of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRasaq is an open one, the general public too are free to visit the sites and forward their observations so that needful will be done,” Ahmed said.

Reacting to whether if her ministry would sanction some contractors if find wanting perhaps the allegation of poor work quality as observed by the House of Assembly is true, Ahmed said such contractors shall be dealt with appropriately.

“Of course. There was a time I had a meeting with the contractors and I told them categorically that we are not going to compromise standard, because we want a situation where the public will see what the Governor has done and they will appreciate us. So if any contractor is find wanting, we will not hesitate to deal with him appropriately.

” Like I said, the project is ongoing and even if it is completed, there is a period to monitor or to supervise the projects in case there are lapses or mistakes which allows us to get the contractors move back to the site.

“And that is why contractors still have a retention fees in the ministry. I want to assure you that most of the projects are still ongoing, it has not be completed. The contractors have not been fully paid,” the commissioner stressed.

She however said that she has not been summoned by the Kwara State House of Assembly as it is been speculated around.

“There has not been any summon on me by the Kwara State House of Assembly as of today. The duration for the completion of project is six months, part of which the lockdown as a result of Covid-19 has hampered.”

The commissioner used the medium to appeal to the people of Kwara State to appreciate the effort of His Excellency, Mall. AbdulRahaman Abdulrazaq for changing the narrative of the state.

“I would want the people of the state to appreciate the effort of the Governor for trying to change the narrative of the state. This is a state that is moribund for the past 16 years, so I want them to acknowledge what the governor is doing and be patient with him, she concluded.

  Education, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Hajia Fatimoh Bisola Ahmed, Kwara State