Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work on the Technical College, Irri, in Isoko South Local Government Area, describing the prolonged delay in completing the project as unacceptable.
The governor, who paid an unscheduled inspection visit to the project site on Monday, lamented that the contract, awarded in 2019, remained incomplete seven years later.
Oborevwori was received at the project site by the Chairman of Isoko South Local Government Council, Hon. Warri Ovoke Friday; the Odio-Ologbo of Irri Kingdom, HRM Simon Wajutome Odhomo, Igbogidi I; and the immediate past President-General of the Isoko Development Union (IDU), High Chief Iduh Amadhe.
Speaking to journalists after touring the facility, the governor said the contractor had failed to demonstrate the level of commitment and competence expected to deliver the project within the agreed timeframe.
He also expressed doubts over assurances that the project would be completed by August, noting that several critical components of the work had yet to commence.
“I spoke with the commissioner, who told me he had contacted the contractor and was assured that the project would be completed by August. But from what I have seen on the ground, I do not believe that timeline is realistic,” Oborevwori said.
“The workshop has not even started. Landscaping is yet to be done, while some sections of the roofing are still incomplete. What is visible from the front is quite different from what is happening behind the buildings, which is why I decided to inspect the entire project.
“I am not satisfied with what I have seen. The project was awarded in 2019, and it is regrettable that after seven years it is still unfinished. The question is: what is holding the contractor back?
“When contractors are committed to a project, their presence and activities are evident on site. Unfortunately, I did not find the contractor or workers here. That is unacceptable.”
The governor announced that he would summon both the contractor and the project consultant to explain the prolonged delay, while attributing part of the problem to inadequate supervision.
According to him, the consultant had failed in the responsibility of keeping the government adequately informed about the project’s progress and ensuring effective monitoring of the work.
“I will invite both the contractor and the consultant because the consultant has not done enough. It is the consultant’s responsibility to keep the client updated on the progress of work and ensure proper supervision. From what I have observed, the supervision has been poor, and I am not satisfied,” he stated.
Oborevwori disclosed that he had hoped the Technical College would begin admitting students by September, but the continued delay had made that target unattainable.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that contractors handling government projects deliver quality work within approved timelines, stressing that abandoned or delayed projects would no longer be tolerated in Delta State.
