…demands repayment from contractor for monies received

THE Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Regional Democratic Council Region Four Ms. Pauline Lucas has terminated the contract for construction of the Supply Health Centre and has demanded the repayment of funds paid over thus far.

This was disclosed by the REO during the recent statutory meeting of the RDC. Lucas told councillors that while she has terminated the contract which was issued to contractor Navin and Sons, she has also instructed the contractor to repay the region monies for the foundation and columns that he had done. “I wrote to him outlining the results of the recent tests that were done and indicated to him that he would have to redo the foundation at his own cost. However, he indicated to me that in his view nothing was wrong with the foundation and therefore he saw no need for the foundation having to be redone,” she said.
The REO continued, “I have therefore written to the Ministry of Communities outlining the issues and thereby seeking the advice on the way forward. As such, the ministry wrote me and accepted my recommendation of terminating the contractor with the contractor tasked with repaying the region,” Lucas is quoted in a release from her office.

It was noted that the Auditor General’s Office also conducted a test which the REO said was done after several tests by various agencies. She noted that their tests revealed similar findings to those of the region. She disclosed that according to recommendations from the senior engineer and the Auditor General’s Office, the contract should be terminated. “Based on the recommendations made, I have accepted it and will move to terminate the contract,” REO Lucas said.

However, Councillor Mazarool Majeed who sits on the government side asked what would become of the foundation in having it redone. REO Lucas noted that it would be part of the region’s letter to the defaulting contractor, “that would be part of our letter to the contractor and he would have to bear the cost of dismantling the columns and foundation,” she stressed.

Addressing added concerns with regard to the re-advertisement of the same contract, APNU+AFC councillor Amarnauth Chickan questioned whether it would be done on the same footprints of this one; he expressed grave concern over it being executed in the footprints of the last one, or if it would be done somewhere else. He said, “… because just looking at some photographs today of the current foundation, I don’t think it’s appropriate enough; and therefore a new site should be selected. I am very concerned as I would like to know if this contract would be newly built,” councillor Chickan stated.

Chickan however voiced his disapproval for the site to be used again, stressing that he is recommending that the engineers for the project do a detailed assessment of the area, properly detailing and identifying where and what should be used. “I believe that our engineers should go out and examine the areas properly, so that a decision can be made about the site,” Councillor Chickan said. The Supply Health Centre was regarded as one of the major health projects for the department in 2018.