The Senate has commended the Redeemed Christian Church of God and its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for rehabilitating the Ife-Ifewara Road, at a cost of N188m.
The red chamber also directed Messrs Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited, which abandoned the project after collecting mobilisation funds, to refund N140m to the federation account.
The road project was earlier awarded to Messrs Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited but was abandoned after the company was paid N151m by the Federal Ministry of Works.
After spending N188m to rehabilitate the road, the RCCG petitioned the Senate through the Church Secretary, Pastor Niyi Adebanjo, on February 9, 2021, and accused the ministry of paying N151m to the contractors which abandoned the project until the church rehabilitated it as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, was summoned by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, over the issue and he explained how his ministry paid the N151m to the contractors.
The committee chairman, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, submitted the report of his investigations to the Senate at plenary on Thursday.
Having scrutinised the panel’s observations, findings and recommendations, the Senate accordingly hailed the RCCG for its generosity and condemned Messrs Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited for abandoning the road project after collecting mobilisation funds.
Part of the Senate resolution read, “That the Senate does commend the RCCG for alleviating the suffering of the Ife-Ifewara community by rehabilitating the Ife-Ifewara Road in Osun State.
“That the Senate does urge the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to formally terminate the contract for the road project awarded to Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited in 2010 and abandoned since 2011 and recover the sum of N140m released to the company.”
Source: Punch