A GOVERNMENT appointed panel has found that more than 2 000 projects awarded between 1976 and 1998 are yet to be completed in Nigeria, the Guardian newspaper reported on Tuesday. The commission was set up by President Olusegun Obasanjo, who came to power in May 1999, to verify and assess the extent of work done on government projects throughout the country. The Guardian quoted chairman of the commission Wole Banjo as saying that the projects were abandoned after the contractors had been paid. He said more than half of the affected projects are in the capital city Abuja and blamed lack of funds and competent contractors for the failure of some of them. Banjo said the panel will meet with the contractors to seek ways to revive the projects. – AFP
Tuesday, August 14, 2001