From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A group known as Onitsha South Elders’ Forum (OSEF) has appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to immediately revoke the road contract for the ongoing reconstruction of Zik Avenue in Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State over alleged shuddy job.
The group alleged that the contracting firm handling the road was using substandard materials which will make the road to collapse in no distance time after completion.
The Chairman of the group Dede Uzor in a statement revealed that the buttmen and asphalts used on the ongoing road were in low standard and the road is made to last for 20 years inline with the terms of the agreement.
He said that the appeal was inline with the pressure on road as a result of articulated vehicles excavating sands from River Niger plying the road on daily basis with heavy loads.
The elders’ forum called on the Governor to direct the contractor to do a standard job or have the contract revoked if the contractor fails to carry out the directive.
The group recalled that Governor Soludo had revoked the construction work at Niger Street to Main Market when the same contractor was said to have become slow and was allegedly using substandard materials.
“Now work is progressing on the road.They have laid the concrete base. And work on the pedestrian area is equally progressing. So, if the contractor handling the Zik Avenue refuses to do a good job, his excellency should not hesitate to revoke the job” the group said.
Uzor however lauded the Governor for awarding contracts for the reconstruction of major roads in Onitsha South especially in Fegge, saying that no Governor in the past had remembered Fegge in this manner.
Some of the roads under construction in Fegge are Niger Street, Port Hacourt Road, Miss Elems, Creek Road.
They noted that contractors handling these other roads were trying, hoping that they would continue to maintain the standard or even improve upon it.
The group urged the Governor to award other important roads in the area in the second phase of road construction.
The forum said that the roads which need attention as Uga Street, Mbonu Ojike, Premier road, Orlu street by Arondizuogu among others, we plead to the governor to use this greatest opportunity to install gates in different strategic entrance leading to fegge community, which includes Bida by Odumeje gate, Bida by C. Plus Hotel, Ziks Avenu via Ochanja, Port Harcourt road gate, Agufere by Express gate, Premier, Uga street, Niger street, Main market Sokoto road among other expected gates. The gates if installed will go a long way in providing the much needed security for the residents of Fegge.