Contractors handling various projects in Kwara state may be in for “a serious battle” with the state government unless they live up to their deadline contractual agreements mainly fixed for May 29 this year, which like many other states of the federation, marks the second year anniversary in office of the incumbent Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Besides, all the political office holders in the state may put their appointments on hold unless they meticulously monitored all the governmental projects sited in their constituencies.

According to Ahmed, who paid a recent on-the-spot assessment visit to over 15 capital projects in the state, every money received in trust on behalf of the people of the state must be judiciously spent to justify the mandate conferred on him by the people of the state.

The governor, who said he would ensure systematic development of the state, disclosed the reasons for making health, water supply and road construction the kernel of his policies, warning that he would not accept any haphazard completion of projects in the state.

He said, only a healthy people could turn around the socio-economic situation of the state, just as he described a good road network as harbinger of rapid economic growth especially in the agricultural sector.

The health projects are General hospitals at Ilorin, Share, Lafiagi, Offa and Omu Aran. The Ilorin project in particular is meant to decongest the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, (UITH) which though a tertiary institution, is at present being used for primary, secondary and tertiary purposes.

Road projects include: modern bridge on Ilorin- Afon road, Obbo/Ilorin asphalt lay, and Oko Bridge, along Oko-Oro-Ago road, Ilemona-Erin-Ile road.

Ahmed justifying the reason for the projects tour said, “at the beginning of every financial year we have a budget which is an articulation of programmes that we intend to spend the people’s money on. Once these projects have been given out to contractors, they need to be taken to completion.

“We want to be sure that works are carried on the way they have been idealized for implementation. On the strength of that, once projects are going, there is a strong project monitoring team, a special adviser on infrastructure who also doubles as check and balance on developmental projects. We also need to see for ourselves to ensure that we get value for money. That is what informed our recent visits to various projects that are on-going to ensure that we get value for money.”

He added, “anywhere we go to we expect that contractors should have got the job to the level to which we have funded them. So far, we are happy with what we have seen. Our contractors are working accordingly and anywhere we expect to see things and they fall below our expectations, the contractor will be given a marching order. That is as clear as a crystal.”