Oborevwori Re Affirms Commitment To Link Delta State Communities With Good Roads

Oborevwori Re Affirms Commitment

OpenLife Nigeria reports that Delta State governor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, has re affirmed his commitment to linking all communities in the State with good roads to enhance social and commercial activities.

Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Mr Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this on Thursday at Issele-Azagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state, during handover of the 2.7km Issele-Azagba-Otulu road to the contractor.

He said the Governor was desirous to connect every local government across the state with quality roads and urged the contractor to brace up with work and deliver on schedule.

“You will recall that few weeks ago Exco approved a number of roads across the three Senatorial districts. After the approval we proceeded to the process of awards and we got a number of contractors who bidded after the projects were advertised.

“This particular project which links Issele-Azagba-Otulu and to Ubulu-Okiti was among the projects that was approved in the course of that Exco.

“It’s been awarded and we are here to examine the level of mobilisation and to formally hand over these projects to the different contractors.

“This particular project is comprising 2.7km and over 3km side drain has been awarded to a contractor we considered capable and it will link up Aniocha North to Aniocha South in Delta North Senatorial District.

“The award of this project is a further demonstration of his meaningful development and opportunities for all planks in his MORE Agenda which is an indication that Governor Oborevwori is indeed a Governor for all Deltans.

“Once this road is completed, the people of Issele-Azagba may not go through the expressway again to get to their local government headquarters at Issele-Uku.

“I have extracted commitment from the contractor and from their work schedule, I am convinced that in no distant time this project would be delivered. I am happy with the speed with which they have mobilised.”

The Works Commissioner said the Oborevwori administration was mobilising contractors to ensure they work with the necessary speed to avoid price fluctuations in the economy.

He said the contractor was mobilised 30 percent of the contract sum, adding that they were expected to deliver the project within 12 months.

“I can assure you that the Governor’s desire in ensuring that our communities are developed is something he is taking very seriously and that is why he has approved mobilisation for a number of these contractors.

“We are doing this because we don’t want a situation were a job is given to anybody and he tells us that he has been very busy scouting for funds hence he has not been able to kick-start the process.

“Even though we know that a lot of the contractors have the resources to mobilise to site, we have to mobilise them so that we don’t move at their own pace because we want them to move at our own pace.

“What we desire first is quality job to be delivered, and secondly to meet up with the speed because we don’t want were a contractor takes a job and then he goes to the market to buy a mattress and begin to sleep on the project.

“We want them to be progressing steadily so that at the end of the day we don’t have to suffer on account of fluctuations in the economy.

“The Governor has directed that we must continue to provide quality supervision on these projects. There are a number of projects we have awarded running into several billions and I can assure you that in less than two weeks from now, a number of other projects would be awarded.

“Governor Oborevwori’s desire is to make sure that every local government whether they are in the North, Central or Southern Senatorial district is touched so that by the time we are coming back to our people in even before 2026-2027, the people themselves would appreciate what we have done.”

Aniagwu who was in company of the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon and Functioning Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Engr Solomon Aghagba also inspected the construction of Ichie James Obodoechi Avenue and Chikozie Okafor Road, in Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area.

He told the contractor to ensure that the drains on both side of the road were properly aligned to hit the discharge point, saying the project on completion will boost businesses on the corridor.

Benin-Asaba Highway

Similarly, Governor Oborevwori has urged the contractor engaged by the Federal Government to rehabilitate failed portions of the Benin-Asaba highway to speed up work.

Oborevwori, who spoke through Charles Aniagwu, said the plea became necessary following untold hardship the failure of sections of the highway had inflicted on motorists plying the route.

Commissioner Aniagwu, who stated this while addressing journalists at Ezenei junction in Asaba, the state capital, on Thursday, said the failed portions on the highway had been a source of concern to the Governor.

According to him, the failed portions on the Benin-Asaba highway, particularly the Ezenei Junction had become a source of great concern to the state government.

According to Aniagwu, “Governor Oborevwori has been very much disturbed about it and you may also recall that before now he had asked me to come and see what we can do with a view to making it motorable for our people.

“When we came, we discovered that the job was already under contract by the Federal Government and we discussed then with the contractor and along the line we couldn’t proceed.

“We have continued to mount pressure on the contractor because it is not easy to come and take over something that has already been contracted to somebody else, more so when the project belongs to the Federal Government which has already awarded the contract.

“But Governor Oborevwori had continued to mount pressure on us to get the Federal Government Contractor to proceed to site and we can announce to you that we have been able to talk to the Federal Government Contractor to leave other areas to come down here.

“He should have been here earlier than now but we discovered that the materials he needed to effect the repairs were stuck along Auchi axis on account of bad roads,hence the trucks ferrying them could not proceed.

“We pleaded with him to take steps to source materials from other areas and, good enough, he was able to get other materials from Benin, while he is still awaiting the other materials from Auchi.

“He has also explained that equipment would be deployed once he has enough materials to commence the job.”

Aniagwu appealed to motorists plying the road to be patient while efforts were being made to fix the deplorable sections of it.

His words, “We appeal to our people to bear with us; we couldn’t have jumped into this particular road when there is already a contractor who is ready to work but having challenges because of the materials stuck elsewhere.

“We will continue to impress it on the contractor to apply more speed. Good enough you saw the amount of trucks bringing in materials with many others still on the way.

“We hope that by the time this portion of the road is completed, our people will be able to have easy access to the Eastern flank because this is the major road to the East.

“Secondly it will also safeguard our internal roads because the ones diverting from this corridor to our internal roads will also be checked.

“Once this place is fixed, it will bring back the beauty of this area and we do hope that the contractor engaged by the Federal Government will be able to quickly complete this road to save our people from the agony they are passing through navigating this portion of the road.

“You can see the long stretch of trucks stuck on this particular corridor and that tells you the kind of traffic counts that you have on this axis.”