The Fiscal Responsibility Commission has lambasted a contractor, Pitch Global Services, that constructed the National Emergency Management Agency’s South-East Zonal Office in Enugu for a substandard job.

Dr Chris Uwadoka, Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Commission, spoke during the inspection of the project.

Uwadoka was in Enugu State for the inspection and verification of the Federal Government’s projects.

Uwadoka, who led the South East verification team, expressed dissatisfaction about the low-quality materials used in constructing the building.

According to him: “It is disheartening that the building handed over to NEMA only this year has leaking roofs and the ceiling falling off.

“Everywhere in the building is leaking; the finishing is very poor and the whole ceiling is falling off.

“This poses a great threat to members of staff.”

Uwadoka blamed NEMA’s management for accepting the building as completed while workers were not comfortable as rain and noise from the roof embarrass them whenever it rained.

He urged the contractor to do the needful or forfeit the 5 per cent retention fee owed it.

Uwadoka explained that the exercise was in line with the mandate of the FRC in ensuring prudence, value for money and accountability as well as transparency in the conduct of the fiscal operation.

Reacting to Uwadoka’s stance, the Site Engineer, Pitch Global Services, Engr. Emeka Onyeka, said the building plan, which NEMA gave to the contractor, was not the original plan.

Onyeka said the building design was later changed, which brought about variation in the contract sum.

He added that the roof design was not for a high one, adding that increases in the prices of materials affected the quality of the building as estimates in the Bill of Quantity given in 2013 had changed.

Also at the Enugu-Amansea and 9th Mile-Orokam Roads in Enugu, Uwadoka expressed dismay at the level of work done in spite of substantial money the Federal Government had spent on the projects.

Newsmen report that contractors on the projects are Reynolds Construction Company and Niger Cat Construction Company.

Amansea is the boundary between Enugu and Anambra States.

TodayNG