Delta State governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Tuesday threatened to fire the Ministry of Works, Zonal Chief Engineer, Engr. Uririoghene Akporavbare, should the ongoing Nsukwa/Ejeme-Aniogor/Agbor-Aladinma/Owa-Aladinma/Ndemu roads rehabilitation fail.
Engr. Akporavbare, is the site engineer supervising the Rehabilitation/Asphalt overlay of the Nsukwa/Ejeme-Aniogor/Agbor-Aladinma/Owa Aladinma/Ndemu in Aniocha South, Ndokwa-West and Ika North East local government areas of the
state.
Governor Okowa’s threat was coming following fears that some portions of the ongoing road rehabilitations were not properly given stone base and sand filling before the asphalt overlay was done on the bad portions.
The threat, HardReporters correspondent was issued out by the governor on Tuesday during the inspection tour of the 24 kilometer road rehabilitations by the governor, been handled by governor Okowa’s conduit pipe contracting firm, Bubu-Dan Global Resources Limited.
It was reliably gathered that the governor project monitor had earlier visited the site after it rained cat and dog where it as discovered that the whole work is been done poorly and reported back to the governor, who expressed serious concern about the durability of the road.
One of the engineers from the construction company, who refused to disclose his name when our correspondent approached him, told the governor that the rains obstructed their works on the said day but they went through the thick and tin to continue work.
“His Excellency, as a matter of fact, that very day the governor project monitor is talking about, it rained. After the sweeping, the water tanker and some persons from the ministry were here, as we were laying, the rains started falling. All the mud split into the road again, we noticed it, and we have to sweep before we continued. And for the stone base, the team came when we were regulating the road and we completed it.” the engineer said in defence.
At this point, the embattled Zonal Chief Engineer, Engr. Akporavbare, who was summoned before the governor by the Commissioner for Works, Mr. James Augoye, to give her own side of the story said, “They laid it up to 6 inches, that is 150 thickness before priming. That is for the pot holes. It was only done on the failed section as it is the process of regulation. They will first of all fill with 150 stone base thickness before priming, before the asphalt. That is before the overlay of 50mm”. the female engineer explained in defence.
In his response, Governor Okowa said, “But if the road fails, you are still young in the service, if it fails and I am still here as governor, you will lose your job because what you are saying now from your confirmation is that you saw it and you approved of it. So, if there is anything wrong on the road in the next few years, first send your letter of resignation, there is no two ways about it because you will be sacked.” Okowa sounded.
Responding to a question put to him by our correspondent, the Commissioner for works, Mr. James Augoye, said, “The governor did not express fears. What
happened was that he wants a confirmation, his project monitor visited the place while they were working and as we were told it rained on that day and so when the place got dried, it became muddy and when he visited, he was wondering if asphalt was going to be laid on top of the mould which of course the Zonal Chief Engineer said the place was properly swept before asphalt was laid. And so there is nothing to be afraid of, we can guarantee that”.
HardReporters gathered that, two kilometer overlay out of the 24 kilometer road which gulped N1.3 billion have been done while 5.2 kilometers of recovery (regulation of potholes) have been done and 17 kilometers have been cleared as at the time of filing in the report.
