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The contractor handling the Ibadan Circular Road project, ENL Consortium Ltd, on Friday denied collecting the sum of N67 billion from the Oyo State Government to construct the road.
The company in a statement signed by its Executive Director and Coordinator, South West Operations, Dr. Kemi Jorge, said it was not paid any kobo by the Oyo State Goverment to execute the contract.
He said the 32km East Wing Ibadan Circular Road is a “Public-Private-Partnership plan of Build-Operate and Transfer project” granted to ENL Consortium.
Jorge noted that as the concessionaire company, ENL consortium Ltd is expected to raise the required funds for the project and build to the specification of the state government, adding that there was no monetory cost to Oyo state government.
“ENL Consortium moved to site in 2018 and we have so far invested up to N4b of our own resources on the project while sourcing for finances as agreed.
“After some initial challenges, ENL Consortium has been able to attract the financing required and we are meeting with Oyo State to map a way forward.
“ENL would like to state without reservation that we are committed to completing the project. In demonstration of this, we have cleared 26kms out of the 32 kms, built 4 culverts, and done earthworks. We are currently working on cutting and filling. We have established in Ibadan for this project, two quarries and we have installed three crushers. We have also installed an asphalt plant and we are currently in the process of installing a second asphalt plant which is expected to be one of the largest capacity asphalt plants in Nigeria.
“ENL Consortium has also from it’s own resources paid about N30m compensation to more than 67 villages,” the statement said.
Jorge further stated that efforts are ongoing to agree the way forward between the company and the Oyo State Government.
He, however, pleaded with the media to kindly report “the facts of the matter truthfully as they can without political colorations.”
It would be recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde had on Thursday ordered the contractor to stop work on the project immediately after paying a visit to the project site. He had expressed his dissapointment over the pace of work on the project.
The 32km East Wing Ibadan Circular Road was awarded to the company by the administration of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi in May 2017 for alleged N67 billion.