Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau warned on Thursday that the state government would not pay variations to contractors that delay projects unnecessarily.
Lalong gave the warning when he paid an unscheduled visit to Plateau State University, Bokkos, to inspect ongoing projects in the school.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor’s visit was part of the preparations for the university’s first convocation after 11 years of its existence.
Lalong said that some contractors were in the habit of deliberately delaying projects even when they have been paid “just because they want variations.”
“We will not pay any contractor that deliberately exceeded the period of the contract when we have already paid,” he vowed.
The governor expressed displeasure with the level of work on the university’s multipurpose hall and the library.
Lalong said that the desire of the university and the state government was to conduct the historic convocation in the multipurpose hall; but hall is not completed one week to the convocation.
He, however, expressed happiness that the university that had existed for 11 years and produced four vice chancellors would finally graduate students.
The governor said he was the Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly when the university was established and was happy seeing it growing from strength to strength and graduating students.
He assured that his administration would give the university all the necessary support to grow and achieve the vision for which it was established.
Lalong, particularly, thanked the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for their interventions.
Prof. Doknan Sheni, Vice Chancellor of the university who conducted the governor and his deputy Prof. Sonni Tyoden, said that university was set for the historic convocation.
Sheni said that 700 graduates from two sets would be awarded degrees at the convocation on the 4th of February, 2017.
The VC thanked the governor for his commitment towards the university that had helped it get accreditation for 17 of its courses from NUC for the first time. (NAN)
PAT/AK/AFA
