THE Special Adviser to Delta State Governor on Project Monitoring and Audit, Engr. Goodnews Agbi, has expressed dissatisfaction on the pace of work and equipment used in the construction of Isoko Ring road linking Isoko North and Isoko South Local Government Areas.
Agbi made the expression on his visit to the reconstruction of Ellu/Ovrode/Ofagbe/Orie-Irri/Okpe-Isoko/UroIrri/Ada-Irri in Isoko North and Isoko South Local Government Areas, where he noticed that the job had remained at the same position after his last visit to the site requesting to know the challenge of the contractor who only had his engineer on site that could not proffer cogent reasons for the delay.
The Special Adviser, who was joined by the state House of Assembly member representing Isoko North, Hon Bernard Odion, alongside the Special Adviser to the Governor on infrastructure, Nathaniel Igbade, amongst other Executive Assistants and professional Engineers in the ministry, called for better productivity or suffer the fate of losing the contract to a more capable hand.
“We are not impressed with the rate and progress of work in Ofagbe, that is the Isoko ring road. Equipment and supervision are very poor. We urge the contractor to sit up because the community is already agitating that the job is restricting their movement. The rainy season is over. With this few breaks they should be able to do a lot of work because when the rains return, they will be stuck.”
Member representing Isoko North at the state House of Assembly, Hon. Bernard Odior, who joined the inspection on the grounds of representation and oversight, gave his review concerning the project saying; “the contractor is not doing well and the contractor needs to up his game to avoid the statement that the Governor is not working whereas, that is not the truth. That project has been reviewed upward for him, he has no challenge of money so he has to up his game and we want him to finish that job in record time. If he is not ready he should let us know so that we can give it to a better hand to handle the project for us because we don’t want our people to suffer. I therefore, appeal to the people of Ofagbe to remain calm. We are ready to deliver. The company should have an alliance with the community.”
Moving to the construction/rehabilitation of Emevor Ivrogbo/Orogun road phase II at Emevor town also in Isoko North Local Government Area, the team including Hon. Odior commended the contractor for the job achieved not minding the terrain.
Other projects visited were the rehabilitation/Asphalt overlay of Nnebisi road Asaba in Oshimili South Local Government Area and Rehabilitation and expansion of Umejei road with drains in Ibusa, a spur to the Federal Government Girls college Ibusa in Oshimili North Local Government Area, where Agbi commended the contractors. “We are in the era of a working governor. We’ve gone round the whole place and we can see that there is work going on in every community. We started from Oshimili South from FMC down to Abraka.
The road is under construction, the new road median barriers are almost completed to Abraka and also to specification. The contractor did very well and has proven to be one of the best so far and according to them, they would complete the job before Christmas to make movement easy for road users. With what the governor is providing now, the major road from town to koka is part of the solutions government is providing as an alternative for the failed portion on the express. Moving to Ibusa, there are drainages on both sides which are almost completed and they are OK.”
“The phase 2 of Emevor Ivrogbo road will be ready in November.
We are very happy with the rate of work going on in the state and we thank our working governor for opening up every Community, turning the state to a construction site.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on infrastructure, Nathaniel Igbade, who also spoke with newsmen said, “protest is not going to help anybody it will only end up slowing down the job. So, I encourage the people to promote peace and work in synergy with the contractors. For Emevor I’m very impressed because the terrain here is very terrible but the contractor has done a very good job.”
