The Rivers State government has cancelled a ₦134 billion agreement with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation for the refurbishment and upgrade of the state secretariat building.
Austin Ezekiel-Hart, the top civil servant in the Ministry of Works, informed reporters about this decision after a State Executive Council meeting in Port Harcourt on Thursday. He stated that the contract had been initially granted by a previous administration during a period of emergency rule.
Mr. Ezekiel-Hart said that the council, led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has ordered the contractor to immediately return the ₦20 billion advanced payment.
He explained that the original contracts were awarded too quickly and without following standard procedures. As a result, the council has approved a fresh evaluation of the bidding process for all four projects that were originally advertised in national newspapers on February 19, 2025.
“With this re-evaluation now underway, a new call for bids will be published in newspapers, inviting qualified and experienced contractors to pre-qualify and submit both technical and financial proposals,” he stated.
Mr. Ezekiel-Hart listed the projects as including the construction of a 4.8km reinforced concrete shoreline protection and land recovery project in Queenstown, Epellema, Oloma, and Minima communities within the Opobo/Nkoro local government area of Rivers State.
Additionally, there’s the construction of a 2.5km shoreline protection and land recovery project in the Ndoni-Onukwu, Isikwu, and Aziazagi communities of the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local government area. Other projects mentioned were the construction of a 2.5km shoreline protection and land recovery in the Utuechi, Obiofu, Isala, and Ani-Eze communities, as well as Odugri in Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA, and the renovation and upgrade of the Rivers State Secretariat Complex.
Chisom Gbali, the commissioner in charge of job creation and economic development, noted that the council had reviewed ongoing efforts to generate employment opportunities for Rivers State youth. He added that the ministry would create a framework for job creation and economic empowerment, reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding opportunities for young people.
Azibaolanari Uzoma-Nwogu, the top civil servant in the education ministry, mentioned that the council had approved the formation of a committee to develop a plan for establishing computer-based testing centers and ICT laboratories throughout the state’s three senatorial districts.
Mr. Uzoma-Nwogu explained that this initiative aligns with the federal government’s mandate that, starting in 2026, all examinations administered by the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council must be computer-based.
