Plateau Govt Summons Contractor, Consultants handling Jos Stadium over Missing Documents

The Plateau Commission of Enquiry on uncompleted new Jos Stadium has summoned the contractors handling the multi-billion naira New Jos Stadium, two consultants and the Ministry of Sports over some missing documents.

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau had set up the six-man commission of inquiry, chaired by Justice Stephen Adah to probe activities of his predecessor, former Gov. Jonah Jang’s administration.

The probe will cover the immediate past administration’s activities between May 2007 and May 2015.

The contractor and others are expected to appear before it Monday at the Dadin Kowa Youth Centre.

When the matter about the N11.3 billion stadium came up for hearing, on Thursday, the commission said it was not satisfied with the explanations by a director from the Urban and Housing Ministry.

It said the Director, James Nyemlong, had failed to explain the where about of the site plans/drawings of the new stadium and other relevant documents.

It added that the documents could help the commission to figure out what exactly transpired with award and execution of the contract.

According to Adah, the urban ministry is the supervising ministry, while the sports ministry is the client who will be in the best position to know who did what and who holds what document.

“We are not satisfied with what you are telling us here since you don’t know where the original plan/drawings of the stadium is, and even the new drawing that is being used by the contractor, BCC Tropical Nig. Ltd.

“The first and second consultants, the contractor and the Ministry of Sports should be summoned to come with all necessary documents.

“This is for us to know what exactly went on and is going on at the stadium,’’ the chairman said.

When the director was asked which parts of the stadium had been completed, he said only the football pitch and tracks.

Adah said the commission was surprised and wondered why after spending a little above N7 billion on the stadium, nothing much had been done.

“It’s surprising that only the pitch and the track are ready even though we are told the sitting capacity of the stadium has been increased to 32,000.

“The consultants and contractor alongside the sports ministry should provide us with the site plans and other documents as and when they come to help us to complete our findings on the stadium,’’ Adah said.