Road contracts: Era of impunity gone for good in Delta – Commissioner

The Delta Government says the era of impunity among contractors handling some road projects in the state is over.

The State Commissioner for Works (Urban and Highway Roads), Mr Reuben Izeze, said this while inspecting damages done to a portion of the drainage system in the ongoing Ughelli-Asaba dualization project on Tuesday in Asaba.

The damages were caused by a firm handling internal road projects for the state government in the locality, Reginalo Nwachukwu Enterprise.

Izeze, who was upset over the development, stressed that any attempt to sabotage the vision of Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori in delivering quality projects in the state, would be resisted.

He queried the contractor handling the nearby Kwakagbor community internal roads and flood control projects, opposite Summit Junction, Asaba, for encroaching into the Asaba-Ughelli expressway without proper clearance from the department in charge of Highway roads in the Ministry.

The Commissioner therefore directed the relevant officials in the ministry to interface with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the Ughelli-Asaba dualization project, to remedy the situation.

Izeze also noted that the firm that caused the damages has no capacity to address the problem on ground, stressing the importance of every project to the present administration.

”Let me make this unambiguously clear. The era of impunity is gone; it is gone for good. The covenant of Gov. Oborevwori to the people of Delta State is ‘MORE’.

”It is a covenant that he made before God and the people of the State and that covenant must be fulfilled.

“For everything that this government pays for, we must extract value for every penny irrespective of whose ox is gored. The era of impunity is gone,” he warned.

On his part, Director, Urban Roads, State Ministry of Works, Mr Solomon Akpotohwo, who conducted the Commissioner round the project, explained that the contractor did not seek the ministry’s consent before tampering with an already finished project.

‘’The contractor did not seek the ministry’s consent before coming to the site to tamper with an already laid project, which is why the commissioner is angered.

“The affected portion is about 165 metre length of drainage on the Asaba/Ughelli dualisation to connect with the Kwekagbor road project to discharge water from the community,” he said.