Awka
Anambra State Government has terminated the contract awarded to Messrs Rockland Development Ltd to construct the Ministry of Housing main office complex at Jerome Udorji Secretariat, Awka.
The project is valued at N33,253,119.66.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu who disclosed this during a briefing on Tuesday, after the Anambra State Executive Council, ANSEC meeting at the State Government House, Awka, said the contract was cancelled due to lack of execution of the job on the part of the contractor.
He revealed that the ANSEC has resolved to take necessary steps to recover the said amount paid to the contractor.
Nwosu also said the State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has commenced his planned cash crop revolution programme in the state with an order for the distribution of millions of coconut and palm seedlings procured by the state government to farmers across the state.
“Sequel to this, the state government has constituted a committee drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state to map out strategies for distributing the coconut and palm seedlings,” he said.
According to Nwosu, the resolutions were in furtherance of Soludo’s plans to reenact some of the agricultural policies of the first Republic Premier of the Eastern region, the late Dr Michael Okpara.
He said, “In furtherance of government policy to re-enact the prosperous era of Chief M.I Okpara in the old Eastern region when cash crops were the main source of revenue, Anambra State Executive Council has constituted a committee drawn from the three Senatorial zones to map out strategies for distributing the millions of coconut and palm seedlings which have been procured.
“Soludo had at several times and fora described coconut and palm economy as a major game changer in terms of diversification of sources of foreign exchange in the state.
“He had maintained that since we abandoned palm oil when we discovered crude oil, now that crude oil is out, we have to go back to the basics, which is palm economy.
“Beyond the palm, we are also going into coconut economy.
“We have ordered for a million of coconut and palm seeds.”
The Anambra Commissioner for Information also said the boards and governing councils of government departments and agencies had been dissolved with immediate effect, stating that they had been directed to hand over to the most senior civil servants in their organisations.
He added: “The newly confirmed Transition Committee Chairmen has been inaugurated today the 2nd of August, 2022.
“They will return to their various LGAs where they will in turn inaugurate their various councillors.
“Arrangement is underway to hold a retreat for the Transition Committee Chairmen and their principal officers.”
He also said at exco, the Attorney General of the state presented a memo that seeks to reform major aspects of the dispensation of justice.
“The Attorney General called for the building of model Juvenile Delinquent facility in line with international standards.
“Presently, no such facility exists in the South East.
“She also proposed that the state justice system be digitized for quick dispensation of justice.
“To this end, she is pushing for the staff of the Ministry of justice and the judiciary to undergo digital training by computer experts.
“ANSEC was also informed that the Ministry of Justice is working to establish designated courts to expeditiously dispense with sexual related offences,” he disclosed.
