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By Festus Ahon, ASABA
THE Isoko Sustainability Group has condemned what it described as the poorly executed Emevor Bye-Pass Road project in Isoko North Local Government Area embarked upon by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC.
The group in a statement issued by its leader, Mr Ferdinard Ighogboja and Secretary, Mr Edwin Aruoture an on the spot visit to the Project.
The statement read: “The project was awarded by the DESOPADEC even though there is clearly the absence of project signboard to authenticate ownership and other project details like the name of the contractor handling the project.
“The project, apart from visible failures being noticed, the entire rain waters emptied into the road that was clearly without a drainage system.
“It will be recalled that the Commissioner Representing Isoko Ethnic nationality on the Board of DESOPADEC, Dr Paul Oweh is from Emevor and many wonders why such a project will receive such an embarrassing status.
“The two-kilometre Road is meant to connect the Emevor main town to the new layout now being developed by citizens of the oil-rich community that has suffered from poorly executed road projects in the past.
“There was consensus that the project was an abysmal failure since it was alleged that the Commissioner pointedly noted that the project was designed without a drainage system.
“A Facebook post made by one Mr Okah Okpotha and signed by the Commissioner himself read in part; ‘My primary duty as the Commissioner representing Isoko Ethnic Nationality on the board of DESOPADEC is to propose and provide for impactful projects in my mandate area including the road in question. The scoping, design and award thereafter are not done by me personally. However, I can tell you clearly that this ongoing award does not include drainage because the fund available cannot take the construction and drainage at the same time. Drainage of the road will be provided for in subsequent budget cycle’.
“Some experts have wondered why a road project will not have drainage from the point of budgetary provisions when it is professionally wrong to finish a road before commencing the project.
“The drainage is key and fundamental to roads in Delta especially in waterlogged areas like Isoko. It will amount to an abysmal waste to have to allow the road and all the attendants cost to be washed away by the rains only to come back to construct drains later.
“The rains have exposed the gross engineering error in the construction of the road. No magic will make the road survive another rainy season as there are no culvert or drains.”
Efforts made to reach Dr Paul Oweh for comments on the matter proved abortive as at press time.
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