A major war of words has erupted between the Warrap State government and the contractor undertaking the ongoing construction of the Kuajok Airport.
State Minister for Information, William Wol Mayom, has consistently expressed disappointment over the slow pace of the implementation of the multi-million-dollar project, a claim denied by the company.
Engineer Bol Anei, Project Manager of Amocco Construction Company, has instead blamed both the state and national governments for delaying the construction, maintaining that the company is ready to jump-start the works anytime they avail funds.
However, Minister Wol says the firm has consistently dragged its feet in the works as per the contract.
According to state officials, Amocco Construction Company began constructing the Kuajok Airport in February last year before the work stalled mid-year.
“Of course, the roofing of the passengers’ terminal is done, and the halfway chain-link fence and the airport is a vast project that requires tarmacking of the runway, landing area, complete fencing and a control tower that should look like a modern airport. It should not just be an airstrip of murram; instead, it should be an asphalt runway and not an open airport for animals and passengers to move anyhow, “Minister Wol told Radio Tamazuj.
But in an immediate rejoinder, Engineer Anei said, “Let me brief you on what delays the completion of Kuajok Airport. Amocco is an indigenous construction company specializing in construction, and since it started its work in February last year, the company has never used any coin from the government. Instead, it has used its money to purchase building materials from Nairobi up to Kuajok to start the work,” he said.
Anei blamed both state and national governments for delaying the completion, saying the firm has never been paid to undertake the works.
“We have finished with phase one using our company’s money. The work started in February last year and the contractor was using his own money, no penny from the client was used in phase one,” he said.
“I would like to inform the public that Amocco company has never used public funds until phase one finished, so we have done the hardest work. This terminal construction, steel was brought from Nairobi, Kenya, so now we have achieved a quarter target but ready when the client finances it,” he concluded.