Some residents of Owa-Nta Aliosimi Road in Boji-Boji, Owa, Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State have charged the Contractor handling the on-going road construction project at Owa-Nta Aliosimi road to stop using sub-standard materials and follow the Bill of Quantities (BoQ).
Speaking in the light of the above, Mr. Sunday Okwube, a Landlord of Uboh Street, expressed disappointment over the drainage on the poor road work being executed by the contractor.
Mr. Okwube, who is said to have abandoned two of his buildings at Uboh Street because of flood, disclosed that he is not happy with the way and manner the contractor channeled the whole erosion coming from uptown to his house purposely forcing him to abandon the house.
Continuing, Mr. Okwube told reporters that before he decided to abandon his seven-bedroom bungalow and a storey building, he had written letters to the government, traveling here and there to ensure the road was done, yet all his efforts proved abortive, saying, “I blame nobody, instead of the government to come to my aid, all they did was to instruct the contractor to channel water to my houses. Nevertheless, I am still on my kneels appealing to the State, Federal governments including the World Bank and the European Union (EU) who have been coming for inspection to come to our aid. In less than one year, I will be retiring as a secondary school teacher and if by then, no effort is made to re-build my two houses, the only asset that I have, I wonder what would be my benefit and source of joy.”
Also speaking, a retired educationist, Mr. Peter Eseka blamed the contractor, whom he said, initially he is one of the Abuja based sons of Owa Kingdom, saying that the road was a federal government project. In his words, “When the man came to inspect this road, I approached him and he told me emphatically that it was a man that resides in Abuja whose house is along the road that is single handedly embarking on the project. When we saw the materials he brought to the site, we could not complain because he said it was a solo, which warranted singing praises to the philanthropist for using his hard earned money to construct over 25km road for his people not knowing it is a federal government project through FERMA that awarded the project to him. I have come to understand that the reason the contractor lied to us is because he knew that we, the residents, will question him over the substandard materials he has been using on the road. These materials are 8mm rods, mesh wire, the one used for constructing or forming net to roast fish. These are the rods he is using for the drainage systems to control the volume of erosion from Owa-Ekei Road through Obuseh, Powerline axis and others in the uptown. And I am not happy about it. If it is possible, I will want the federal government to come and see the low standard of job that is being done.
Mr. Emmanuel Animan and Pastor Chukwuemeke Iruh in their separate remarks urged the federal government to revisit the site to enable them to ascertain whether the contractor is doing the right thing or not, saying that they are not satisfied with the level of work being done. They reechoed that the contractor also told them that it was one of their brothers residing in Abuja that is doing the road for his people. Turning around again, the same contractor is now telling them that it is not an individual that is sponsoring the project, saying that it is a federal government project. They wondered how the federal government can award a contract to an incompetent person who is using mesh wire and 8mm rod to construct a drainage system that is not even up to 2feet deep. We are calling on the Federal Ministry of Works to as a matter of urgency, come and see the kind of illegal construction works going on in the area. SEE ALSO:CHIEF EFAM COMMENDS OKOWA ON ALIHAGWU/OKI ROAD CONSTRUCTION, FROWNS AT SHODDY JOB
Speaking with newsmen, the contractor (name withheld) said he was asked to construct a 250km road which he said is supposed to commence from Pecky Guest House and stop at St. Hanna Hospital. He stated that the reason he decided to extend the work to Uboh is because there is nowhere to channel the waters except the drainages are extended to Uboh so that it will flow freely to the river through Midomer Street and Abraka Road.
On the materials used, he stated that the materials were the ones specified by the FERMA.