Governor Otti has directed that no fresh contracts should be given the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, saying that the company has disappointed him with delay in job delivery.
Otti said this on Wednesday when he received the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Ms Yan Yuqing and her entourage, who are on a working visit to Abia State.
Otti who said he would not accept excuses for delays in delivery of awarded contracts, questioned why the Chinese construction company refused to establish an office in Abia State or send senior officials to monitor the ongoing jobs.
He said, “Now, specifically to CCECC, yes we did give you the first two jobs in Aba. You completed one on time and the other one took so long. And then we gave you another two more.
“And I instructed that no other job that we are going to be giving out should be given to them. Even the Government House that they designed, I’ve refused to give it to them. So that you are not getting jobs is because you are not performing. We don’t accept excuses.”;
He called for useful partnership with the People’s Republic of China to improve Abia State’s economy, noting that the Chinese and Abia people share similar traits in resilience and hard work, despite the high level of poverty in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Ms Yan Yuqing, said the visit was to strengthen friendship and relationship between the Chinese government and Abia State government as well as extend their project – Fight Against Hunger and Poverty – to Abia residents.
She added that they were ready to link Abia to partners in China as well as assist the state in areas such as vocational education and agriculture.
During the visit, the Chinese delegation donated food items to be distributed to poor and vulnerable persons.
