The Contractor engaged by the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC)
to construct the Apu na Ali road in Ntighauzo Amairi autonomous
community, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, Mr. Okey Nwamu,
has warned the community to stop disturbing him over the road project.
Nwamu’s reaction followed a protest carried out by the community over
the road which the contractor has abandoned for about 3 years.
Contacted for his reaction over the protest by the community and when he
will return to site to complete the project, Nwamu, who is the Director
of SACON Engineering Limited, stated that he has no agreement with the
community as they do not know how he got the contract from the NDDC.
He said; “The community can do whatever they want to do; they shouldn’t
involve me because they didn’t give me job. They don’t know how I got
the contract from the NDDC. I have been getting calls from all corners.
I can’t be taking calls for what I don’t know. I don’t have any
agreement with them, I’m not in the picture; they shouldn’t involve me.
This is Nigeria, they know what is happening,I don’t have anything to
tell them. Heavens will not fall. In my community, where I come from,
the road is even suspended. In fact, I’m even wasting my credit talking
to you,” Nwamu said he ended the interaction abruptly.
The people who embarked on a protest march in the area lamented that the
huge stones dumped on the roads by the contractor has continued to cause
accidents with two lives already lost.
Some of the placard displayed during the protest,read; “NDDC come and
complete our roads’, our people are dying from the huge stones the NDDC
contractors dumped on the road’, Apu na Ali 2km road must be completed
by NDDC, ‘Our people are dying’, ‘We can no longer keep mute over the
high rate of accident caused by the abandoned of the roads by NDDC,
among others.
Leaders of the protesters, Adindu Johnson and Henry Ahukanna, disclosed
that the roads have been abandoned since 2016 and tasked the NDDC to
direct the construction company handling the two road projects to return
to site and complete them without further delay.
They further lamented that another contractor engaged by the NDDC has
abandoned the 2km Iferife Ntighauzo road for over 3 years after dumping
huge stones on the road.
According to them;”Our people can no longer ply the road because of the
huge stones the NDDC contractor dumped on the road. Our vehicles and
motorcycles are punctual daily. The stones are causing accidents every
time. We have contacted the contractors, they have been promising to
come and complete it within two weeks, all to no avail. We have the 2km
Apu na Ali and the 2km Iferife, the contractors abandoned them. NDDC
should bring back the contractors. We have suffered for too long. We are
giving the contractors 30 day ultimatum for them to return to site and
complete the two roads or face the wrath of the youths of the two
communities.”
Even soldiers at the Ohanze Forward Operation Base(FOB), Obingwa LGA,
who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they are badly hit by the
poor state of the abandoned Apu na Ali road.
Also speaking, traditional rulers of the Ntighauzo Amairi autonomous
community and Isiala Ntighauzo autonomous communities, Eze Isreal Uduko
and Eze Nwakwue Akpulonu, respectively, said the contractors have failed
to keep to their promises to return to site to complete the roads and
urged the NDDC to ensure the road is completed.
“Each time we call any of the contractors, they will tell us to give
them 2 weeks to return to complete the two roads, but they have never
kept to their promise. We are appealing to the NDDC to direct the
contractors to return to site and complete the roads. Our people have
suffered for too long due to the huge stones they dumped on the road. In
fact, nobody uses the two roads to avoid accidents. We pass though very
distant communities before we link Ikot Ekpene road to Aba town.”