Rivers State Executive Council has canceled the ₦134 billion contract awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for renovation and furnishing of the state secretariat complex.
Gatekeepers News reports that the decision was taken on Thursday during a meeting presided over by Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
In a statement issued by Nelson Chukwudi, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, the council also directed CCECC to refund the ₦20 billion mobilisation fee earlier paid.
According to the statement, the contract was awarded by former sole administrator Ikot-Ete Ibas during the six-month emergency rule in the state.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Austin Ezekiel-Hart, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, said the project was hastily awarded without due process.
He explained that the council had approved the revalidation of the bidding process for four projects previously advertised in February, including the secretariat renovation and shoreline protection works in Opobo/Nkoro and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas.
Ezekiel-Hart added that the government would reopen the bidding process for qualified contractors to submit fresh proposals, noting that the aim is to ensure transparency and adherence to due process in project execution.
