By Mustapha Sesay
Members of the parliamentary oversight committee on works have expressed dissatisfaction over the slow progress on Kono and Kabala road projects. The projects are being implemented by a Guinean company called Guico Press.
Rosaline Jariatu Smith, a member of the committee, described Guico as the worst government contractor in terms of delivering on its promises.
MP Smith noted that upon awarding the contract to Guico Press, the country representative of the company Alpha Keita promised to complete the job within the contract`s stipulated time but that it had failed to do so.
“We saw your equipments and we thought you were the best, but you have disappointed us and the people of Kono,” the lawmaker said, remarking further that the company was not capable to do the job.
The director general of Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA), Abdul Aziz Kamara, also noted that they had visited the two townships and were not pleased with work done so far. He mentioned that when they initially contracted the company, government delayed to do the first payment, thus the company was constrained in terms of finance. But he said that issue had been long settled as over 70 percent of the finance involved had been given to the contractor.
Works committee chairman, Kombor Kamara, said Guico`s action was deliberate and noted that President Koroma had even threatened to terminate the contract. He said the President chose to allow them some time with the hope that they would improve. “They have failed again,” he lamented.
MP Kamara said the Kono-Kabala road project had been a pain for the committee, citing the fact that four contractors have been involved in it at different times. He accused the company of using money from Sierra Leone to fund other projects in its home country.
Guico country representative, Alpha Keita, said delay in receiving finance was one of the constraints they face, leading to their failing to deliver on time. Keita stressed that machine and human capacity were not the only factors to ensure a successful completion of the project. He however apologized to the committee and promised to complete the project by June.
The works committee however praised other companies for doing well in the area of road constructions, including Silina, Fiment, and ISU.
© Politico 23/04/15
