My Anger with Asaba Drainage Project Contractors, By Okowa

• Expresses satisfaction with Asaba Airport upgrade

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has expressed anger over the slow pace of work due to apparent failure of the contractors handling the multi-storm drainage project in Asaba, the state capital, to mobilise fully to site, demanding that work must be sped up before the rainy season commences in earnest.

Okowa made the remarks when he inspected strategic points in the ongoing work on the multifaceted Asaba/Okpanam storm water project at the weekend.

The governor also directed the contractors and supervising ministries to ensure the modification of the drainage plan especially at DBS Road/WAEC Road area to forestall the possible inadequacy of the present structure in dealing with the heavy floods in the area.

“Contractors must fully mobilise to site, they must get to appreciable level before the rain commences in full”, he said, noting that three weeks after commencement of work was enough for the contractor, Setraco, to have moved men and machines to the different sites.

Specifically, the governor frowned on the pace of work at the drainage site behind St. John Mary Vianney Catholic Church designed to channel floods from Marian Babangida Way, DBS Road, and adjoining areas into the new route across Okpanam Road via Cabinet Office Road.

According to Okowa, “The pace of work here is very slow. If the rains come earlier than expected, the drainage will collapse; in some areas, the soil is softer than others. It is clear the work is slow because the contractor has not mobilised fully to site and, I’m angry about that. You (works ministry) must put the contractors on their toes.

“The competence of the contractors is not in doubt; they have shown they have the capacity with the commendable work they are doing at the (Asaba) Airport project, and are even ahead of deadline, but the contractors must mobilise fully to site and increase the pace of work.”

Nevertheless, the governor assured that, when completed, issues of flood in the state capital would be history, saying that the contractor handling the storm water drainage covering the DLA and Jesus Saves roads was obviously doing a good job.

He sued for patience from residents and motorists who have been forced to make tedious detour from the FMC end of the ever-busy Nnebisi Road for a couple of weeks, due the construction work.

Okowa was accompanied by the state commissioner for works, Chief James Augoye, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr. Fred Edafioghor, information commissioner, Mr. Patrick Ukah, some senior government officials and state legislators.