Following series of allegations of human rights abuse and violation of contracts deeds, the Senate committee on Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) yesterday summoned construction giant, Julius Berger, Chinese and firms to answer queries on abuse of Nigerian workers right and exploitation of the country’s natural resources without compensations.
The committee Chairman, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who was astonished the importation of Chinese, Indian and German expatriates to man positions that can adequately be handled by Nigerians said the construction firms are consistently violating Nigeria laws because they were not properly monitored.
Adeyemi asked: “How can you explain the importation of electric poles which can be made easily at Aba or the importation of Indian who is working as messenger in an Indian hospital when there are thousands of Nigerians who can do the same job even better? We have to gradually develop our people by empowering them but instead we are importing electric poles from China for God sake this is even beyond a petition from anybody, it is what I saw on ground myself.
“Why should a Nigerian construction worker be paid N8, 000 monthly when the minimum salary has pegged at N18, 000 per month. Whereas his Chinese, Indian or German counterparts are paid in dollars?”
He also frowned at a situation whereby construction firms crushed stones in the country without payment or any form of compensation to the government.
He said all these materials were detailed in the contract agreement and therefore should be paid for.
The committee threatened to terminate the contract of any contractors caught in the act of importing materials that are found in the country or importing expatriates for a job that could easily be done by Nigerians.
Consequently, the committee joined the Immigration service in the summons to explain the reason behind it.
The Permanent Secretary of works, Mr. Nathaniel Olorunfemi apparently jolted by the senators’ reaction to all the allegations immediately directed the Executive secretary who was also in attendance at the meeting with the committee to conduct a detail investigation into the activities of the construction firms and report back to him.
The committee is also not happy with the way and manner Julius Berger is handling the Airport road project which is causing a lot of hardship for the road users.
Adeyemi said a lot of motorists go through pains of long queues as a result of road diversions by the construction firm.
Earlier the committee had frowned at the FCT management’s foot dragging on the demolition of the Mega Station at the central and a number of shopping malls which are on the corridor of the rail lines.
The committee requested to know the minister that granted approval for the allocation of the land for the shopping malls and the NNPC Mega Stations knowing fully well that they are illegal.
The Abuja light rail project was a four year contract funded by the Chinese government loan. It was started in 2009 and expected to be delivered in 2013 but was extended by another one year due to diversions in the rail lines occasioned by construction of houses in some areas.
But the senators warned that the diversion in the rail lines should not be at any extra costs to the government.
The committee also noted that the N800 million appropriated for the contract in the 2011 budget was missing in the FCT presentation to the committee an omission which the Permanent Sec said was caused by typographical error.
Adeyemi said the committee is particularly concerned about the rail project because it will create more jobs for the teeming jobless youths of the country which already constitute security threat to the nation.
“I have always been saying that the greatest security threat we have in the country today is unemployment and if the issue of unemployment is addressed Nigeria will know peace. But if it is allowed to go beyond the stage it is now, it will be very difficult for many of us to stay in the comfort of our homes,” he said.