By NABILU BALARABE

Mr Muttaqa Darma, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, has threatened to revoke the Renewed Hope housing units contract in Damaturu over the delay in completion.

Darma, who inspected the 250-housing units project in Damaturu on Thursday, noted that only 40 per cent of work was done by the contractors, Jikanti, Katalist Dynamics and Yalwa.

He said the contract was awarded in 2024 at the sum of N5 billion with a completion period of four months.

The minister, however, said the project had only reached about 40 percent completion level before it was abandoned.

He said that claims of lack of funds by the contractors to complete the project were inexcusable.

“As a responsible contractor you need to honour your agreement and complete the work within the approved period of four months even if you are not given money.

“If you know you cannot complete the work in four months because you don’t have money, go and extend the contract duration. That's my responsibility.

“ But if you refuse to extend the duration, and you are here giving excuses, that is not valid. We are not at the animal farm,” Darma said.

The minister expressed concern that even the completed components such as roads were not in line with the contract specification.

“Of course there is still retention money with us. Therefore, the contractor must come and make those places good,

“ Overall, I am not satisfied with this work at all,” he said.

Darma said he would tour the country to inspect the about 15,000 Renewed Hope housing unit projects, warning that decisive action would be taken against erring contractors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three contractors handling the project declined comment.(NAN)

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