The state government said it followed due process in the award.
The Ogun State Government has awarded road construction contracts worth N90 billion to four construction companies including Hitech Construction Company Ltd, believed to be owned by former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu.
Hitech has successfully won multi-billion naira construction contracts in virtually all the Action Congress of Nigeria controlled states, a party that has Mr. Tinubu as one of its leaders.
The Ogun contracts were signed on Monday for the construction of 8 roads across the three senatorial districts of the state.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Ogun, Olalekan Adegbite, who signed on behalf of the State Government at the event witnessed by reporters in the state, said the roads were part of the 14 that the state government had earmarked for construction at the sum of N130 billion.
The roads, according to Mr. Adegbite, are the 25 kilometre Ilisan-Ago Iwoye, 9 kilometre Ejirin-Oluwalogbon Junction, and the Sagamu 7 kilometre Benin Express junction-Oba Erinwole junction in Ogun East senatorial district.
Others are the 4.8 kilometre Ilo-Awela Road and 60 kilometre Ilara-Ijoun-Egua-Oja Odan Road in Ogun West senatorial district.
In the Ogun Central senatorial district, Mr. Adegbite said the 6 kilometre MKO Abiola way, 9 kilometre Ojere-Adatan Roundabout, and the 8.7 kilometre Brewery junction-OGTV are also to be constructed.
The commissioner said the government had earlier placed advertisements in the media inviting interested contractors to bid. He said due process was strictly followed before the four to handle the projects were selected, revealing that the period of completion varied between 18 and 24 months.
Also speaking at the contract signing ceremony, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Wemimo Ogunde, said signing the contract in the presence of journalists was a demonstration of government’s seriousness and commitment to the execution of its cardinal programmes. He said carrying the people along to elicit feedback remained a crucial aspect of responsive governance.
“Letting the people know what we are doing is important¸ we want to be given feedback. We want our people to know what government is doing and we want their support,” Mr. Ogunde remarked.
Responding on behalf of other contractors, Paolo Prono from Borini Prono & Co. Ltd promised that they will do their best to comply with terms of the contracts signed, build quality roads and deliver within record time.
Other successful contractors that signed at the ceremony include the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, PW Nigeria Limited and Mr. Tinubu’s Hitech.
The event was witnessed by the Commissioners for Finance, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and Information and Strategy, Kemi Adeosun, Basorun Muyiwa Oladipo and Yusuph Olaniyonu respectively.
