Florence Uwaeme
The Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), the umbrella body of all Ogoni Youths has lambasted the contractor handling the Bori-Kono road, the Chinese Civil Engineering Corporation (CCECC) for executing a substandard job
The President-General of Ogoni Youth Federation, Legborsi Yamaabana while on fact-finding tour on the road said, we decided to pay this on-the-spot assessment visit to see things for ourselves due to complaints from communities along this road and we are shocked at the poor state of work being done far.
“Our assessment shows that the job has been compromised. We discovered that the contractor handling the road, CCECC, cut corners and jettison the Bill of Quality for the road, ostensibly in order to make more profit at the detriment of the people.
“They deliberately, for reasons best known to the firm, failed to excavate the topsoil and replace same with sharp sand on one lane of the road, before the application of stone-based, bitumen and asphalt as practised globally. They are using red mud on the said lane instead of sharp sand, amongst other sharp practices,” he said in a statement by Lene Kingsley Lekue, Publicity Secretary, of the group.
“Another worrisome aspect of the shoddy road job is the fact that there is no drainage system on the two sides of the road, and as a result, whenever it rains, the entire communities along the road are usually submerged in flood and crops destroyed, intentionally infusing wanton hardship on our people.
“We are sure the Executive Governor of Rivers State, being a man of thoroughness is not aware of these abnormalities”.
Recall that in March, 2021, the Rivers State Government awarded the Bori-Kono road to the CCECC at the cost of N14 Billion secured with an irrevocable payment standing order of N1billion monthly drawn against the State Internal Revenue.
“For the records, Ogoni youths are not against any meaningful project that would bring succor to our people but we can not take substandard projects. We must receive value for the massive fund that the Rivers State Government is putting on this project.
“We, therefore, warn and call on the contractor to as a matter of urgency and importance, go back to the drawing board with a view of executing the Bori-Kono road project in strict compliance to the Rivers State government specifications, using the approved Bill of Engineering Measurements and Evaluation (BEME) and Bill of Quality (BOQ) for the contract to make the road durable.
“We are shocked that a multinational company like CCECC could embark on this kind of shoddy job. They can not do this kind of job they are doing in Ogoni in China. This is not acceptable. The Rivers State Government should immediately call them to order.
“In the coming days, if our demands are not met, we shall be left with no option but to launch a plethora of actions. These actions, which shall be carried out within the ambit of the law shall be made known to the public through our various platforms. Ogoni Youths are enjoined to remain calm as we explore other channels for this advocacy”.
