Comrade Adams Eric Oshiomhole of Edo State has commissioned two 500-seating capacity lecture theatres and a block of lecturers’ offices at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
Also the Governor has threatened to revoke the contract for the completion of the Administrative block of the University if the contractor fails to complete the project on schedule.
Speaking yesterday at the commissioning of the projects, Comrade Oshiomhole said the management of the university justified the initial N250 million provided by the government to develop infrastructure in the university, which made the government to review it upwards by 100 percent to N500 million, promising to further review the fund by another 100 per cent if the N500m is judiciously expended.
He said, “I believe that the management of the University under Professor Agbebaku is the best of all time. When I told the commissioner of works how much this project caused, I am not sure he believed me until he heard from the VC herself.
“Let me say that listening to you and having inspected the three facilities you spent the money on, Prof, I can say you have done extremely well.
“Having seen what you have done with this amount and we have given you another of this double amount which is 500million which we already released to you. The Chairman of council has said that the next time, he will drag me here will be to commission a few other projects, let me also say that once you bring me here, to show me what you have done with that N500 million, I will double it for University in the coming year. Once the people are getting value for money, there is incentive to provide more resources”, he said.
Oshiomhole added, “Let me also share with you my frustration at the pace of work of the administrative block. I thought by now, that project would have been completed and commissioned so that senior management and other academic and non-academic staff can have a very conducive environment to work. The time allowed for the contract has lapsed and the contractor is competing with snail in terms of speed.
“I have asked the commissioner to issue several warnings and I believe we have issued several warnings. If those warnings are not heeded and I come back here in October, we will revoke the contract and get someone else to do it.
“We are obliged to keep our promise. Our selling point is that when we promise, we keep our word. That is why I didn’t come here with 20-point agenda, 7-point agenda and all kinds of agenda. We just came to work and we are working.
“I am just embarrassed at the pace the project is going. I will do a letter under my own signature to the contractor to either behave or we will re-award the contract so that this project can be completed this 2014. We can’t drag beyond this year”, he added.
On the issue of road network in the university, Oshiomhole stated, “We do face some financial challenges right now, once you have again deployed what we have provided, we will provide even more.
To the students he said, “Let me appreciate you even more for your support not only to this government but also to the management of the university. This institution is your own. I went to the Emaudo Campus and we have seen that from a very modest beginning, this university has transformed to a new level. It is a positive story.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor of the University, HRH Prof Greg Akenzua, represented by Professor Thomas Audu said, “We are gathered here to inaugurate three projects funded by the Edo State Government as part of the Edo State Government intervention in the infrastructural development of our university.
“The Governor in his magnanimity approved 250million naira for the infrastructural development of the university. The judicious application of that grant by the leadership of the university is what we are celebrating today.
“We are indebted in deep appreciation to the Comrade Governor in his avowed determination to move this University to the next level in infrastructural development”, he said.
Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Cordelia Agbebaku said due to the shortage of lecture theatres the Governor graciously approved money for the building of the theatres that were commissioned.
