The Rivers State government has dismissed reports that construction giant Julius Berger is withdrawing from project sites in the state due to alleged shortfalls in government payment.
Speaking in a statement signed by its Senior Special Adviser, Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, the Rivers government described the reports as misleading and malicious.
Igbikiowubo stated that the report was a deliberate misrepresentation of facts and a calculated attempt to tarnish the administration’s reputation.
According to the statement, “The Rivers State Government has consistently and dutifully met all its contractual obligations to contractors, including Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, which has received all payments due since the declaration of Emergency Rule in the state.
“The real motive behind this baseless report is nothing more than a campaign of calumny orchestrated after failed attempts to pressure the Rivers State Government into approving an exorbitant and unjustified variation request for the ongoing Ring Road project. The facts are as follows:
“The original contract sum for the Ring Road project was ₦195,695,980,239.61 billion.
“Julius Berger submitted a variation request demanding an additional ₦171,755,448,105.05 billion, representing an 87.77% increase in project cost.
“If approved, this would raise the total project cost to a staggering ₦367,451,428,344.66 billion.
“It is important to note that in an attempt to forestall such unreasonable claims and protect the State from such arbitrary variation requests, the Rivers State Government at the commencement of the project took a facility from a bank and paid a 77% advance payment in the sum of 150,000,000,000.00 to Julius Berger”.
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