Maravi

Auditor General grills RDA boss over bad contractors

Auditor General grills RDA boss over bad contractors
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 17 June 2010, 08:40 CAT

This part of the Lusaka - Churundu road was washed away shortly after construction
AUDITOR General Anna Chifungula and two parliamentarians from the parliamentary public accounts committee (PAC) have warned Road Development Agency (RDA) executive director Erasmus Chilundika against defending what they termed incompetent contractors.

This was when Chilundika who, together with works and supply permanent secretary Watson Ng'ambi, appeared before the committee on Tuesday to respond to various irregularities as highlighted in the 2006-2009 Auditor General's report on the agency.

Lukashya Patriotic Front parliamentarian Alfreda Mwamba and her Isoka West MMD counterpart Paul Sichamba warned Chilundika against defending shoddy works from some contractors.

When Chifungula asked Chilundika why the agency continued to give road contracts to companies like Raubex whose works were below standard, Chilundika constantly defended the defects by stating that such things happened anywhere else in the world.

“I can't deny the incompetence by some of our contractors on certain projects. Actually most of them are new in the industry and we expect them to err. But I must also state that these defects on roads from contractors are not just in Zambia, they are everywhere in the world. Just like RDA failures are also everywhere in the world, the issue is are we able to notice and intervene?”

Chilundika asked. “We have always taken interest to find out why there is failure by some contractors to deliver quality work. I wouldn't want to say it is on this contractor alone but it has happened on many other contractors. In fact some of these defects are as a result of natural acts.”

This prompted Chifungula to question Chilundika's justification of defects on roads.

“You seem to be justifying that these things happen, then what is the point of having qualified people to do these works if all they can produce is substandard work? Do you know that it is not only on this Lusaka International Airport-Luangwa road where Raubex has shown such incompetence?

On almost every road they have worked on, such defects have come up even before they finish working on the road. You are the body that should be scrutinising these contractors and now you are in the forefront justifying their shoddy works. So, why have qualified contractors and consultants if they can't give us quality work? And why are you comfortable with that?” Chifungula asked.

Mwamba reminded Chilundika that the money spent on roads was people's money.

“You can't deny the fact that some of the defects are as a result of shoddy performance by contractors themselves. I don't think it's because of natural acts which in law we call acts of God as you claim; I don't believe that. I think you should stop being defensive and admit that these are serious problems where people's money is being spent. Zambians deserve quality work for their money,” said Mwamba.

Sichamba warned Chilundika that he was part of the government and should therefore not justify wrong things.

“If there is a poor contractor, get rid of him because we are talking about public funds here. He seems to be defending these shoddy contractors when he is supposed to be assisting government by ensuring that contractors deliver accordingly,” warned Sichamba.

In response, Chilundika maintained his earlier defence that such defects were not only common in Zambia, but everywhere in the world.

“I wish to allay fears that we are tolerant on contractors. I wish also to mention that these defects are not only common in Zambia, they occur everywhere else around the world. But we take corrective measures when they occur. So, please if I have presented myself in a manner that we defend contractors, far from it. We have the interests of this country at heart and we have to ensure quality work is produced,” he said.

Later in the deliberations, Chilundika and his team disputed test results conducted on 18 roads countrywide by RDA engineers in collaboration with the Auditor General's office.

According to the report on page 19, the following tests were conducted: base course thickness tests on three samples, surface dressing thickness measurement on three samples, bonding tests on one section, visual assessment of aggregate sizes, content of cement for stabilisation on two samples and gradation on one sample.

And the following were the results: two base course thickness test failed. They both measured 140mm against 150mm specified. The third sample measured 155 mm; all three surface dressing thickness tests measured 10mm against 14mm expected; wearing course was easily stripped from the base course;
aggregates were observed to be bigger than aggregates required for similar activities; samples had 1.5 per cent and 1.7 per cent cement content respectively against three per cent specified; and that gradation fitted in a corresponding SATCC grading envelop.

But Chilundika and his team disputed all the results, serve for the last one.
When he was shown a Bill of Quantities by Chifungula, Chilundika demanded to know if the tests were conducted in a laboratory.

Chifungula responded in the affirmative, saying the samples were taken in collaboration with RDA engineers and tests were done at the University of Zambia.

This prompted PAC chairperson Emmanuel Hachipuka to release names of RDA engineers who worked with the Auditor General's team - Misheck Lungu, Zicko Banda, Gilbert Nkweto and Thomas Zimba.

Upon being reminded by Chifungula that RDA was given a copy of the same test results and that the agency management gave a response, Chilundika remained mute.

Hachipuka then ordered RDA to take new tests on roads in collaboration with the Auditor General's office.

Labels: ANNA CHIFUNGULA, AUDITOR GENERAL, CORRUPTION, RDA

posted by MrK @ 3:48 PM