Nibo Community weeps over abandoned road projects

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Cynthia Igbokwe

There is Anger in Nibo community over abandoned road projects by Governor Willie Obiano led administration

The road projects are: Nkwo-umugboghobia- holy Trinity-obiofia road, awarded to New Idea Construction Company. Ukwuorji Awka Umuelechi Village-Ifitte Nibo Isiagu road, awarded to an indigenous Contractor, J Quarison International Limited and Nibo- Umuawalu- Mbakwu Bypass road popularly known as Deffri Road also awarded to another indigenous Contractor, Aldama Engineering and Construction Company.

When visited by our reporter, the roads were in a total mess, destroyed by erosion and at some point impassable to pedestrians. Some of the drainage checks have fallen off, and pit holes were seen at intervals, and no machines were on site.

At Nkwo-Umuagboghobia-Holy Trinity- Obiofia road. Mrs Ngozi Okeke, a petty farmer who depends on agriculture for livelyhood said that the current state of the road affects her from taking her farm produce to the market, thereby making life unbearable for her and her kids.

‘Even if it is for the government to level this road so Okada riders can ply it , I am ok, because with that bikes I can comfortably transport my farm produce, I suffer through my nose just to bring my produce up the hill where I can have access to Okada riders’ She lamented.

Another user of same road, who gave her name as Mrs Cecilia Nwaofor, narrated her ordeals to our reporter on how she was going for burial one morning, before her, one old woman was supporting her self with staff, missed her step due to the bad condition of road, she fell down and rolled down to the bridge,and she suffered bruises
“If government had known that they will not complete the construction of this road, they should have left it for us the way it was, we were managing it before this half hazzard development came and turned our road to a total dead zone,” she laments.

Speaking with the Councilor representing Nibo ward where the three roads projects were abandoned, Hon Mrs Titi Onuorah, said that the administration of Obiano was the first time inner road construction in Nibo community became real since the inception of Anambra state
‘I dont think the roads were abandoned by contractors,maybe they have exhausted their moblization, because they are supervised by the government, they can not abandon the projects under government supervision, besides two out of three roads are indigenous contractors’, She noted.

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‘The current state of the roads is also affecting farmers within this area because they find it difficult to transport their farm produce to the market, and that reduces their quantity of cultivation, and I don’t take that to be a boost to our economy’, She added

Further, she appealed to the government to hasten and complete these projects before the forthcoming election because those projects were the core reason Nibo community voted massively for APGA.

A student of Nneoma Community secondary school Nibo, one out of the two government Secondary schools in Nibo
who gave his name as Patrick Junior Chinweze told our reporter that this road is in a good state now, that during raining season they skip school due to the bad road, and this Nibo-Umuawulu -Mbaukwu -Bypass road is the only access road to their school.
‘During raining season, each day it rained in the morning, we either come to school with water, to wash our legs when you get to the school gate, because you will definitely remove your sandals before using that road, some of us may even decide to skip school for that day. We always pray for a sunny day’, he said.

Interviewing some of the youths volunteer team working on Ukwuorji -Umuelechi Village- Ifitte Nibo Isiagu road, led by Obinna Chukwumalije Nwajagu, he said that since the government have decided to abandon the road, that the youths will not abandon their road, that they will keep managing it until government remembers them.

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‘They worked last on this road early this year, and I know why they are delaying is to use it again and decieve us in the forthcoming election’
But they have failed, because we already knew the strategy they are using, and we will not succumb again’, he noted.

Rev Christian Nwuba, the Assistant Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Nibo, told our reporter that the present state of the road has affected the number of worshipers that turn up for activities in the Church.
‘The road has affected our congregation, it is only the youths or strong ones that can access this road, walking on it is risky for the aged especially those who come through Umuizuogu or Obeagu axis of Ifitte Nibo’.

‘Government should please come to our aid, because if nothing is done before the next raining season, this road will be swept off completely, and that will bring our activities to a pause’, he narrated.

Attempts were made to speak with His Royal Highness,Eze Micheal Ngene, Ezike the fourth of Nibo, but failed.

On the first day of our visit to His palace, he told our reporter that ladies do not wear trousers to his palace, he asked our reporter to go and come back when not on trousers to speak with him. He equally informed that official visiting hours to his palace starts from 6am to 10am Monday to Friday. Our reporter left and repeated the visit on Monday while on skirts, arriving by 8:30 am at the palace , but waited till 12noon, and ended up not seeing him. On enquiry, the palace guard, expressed doubts that since Igwe hasn’t stepped out till 1 pm,that he doubts the possibility of seeing him that day.

Two out of the three contractors were reached on why the projects were abandoned, but only the reaction of one was got.

The Director Aldama Engineering and Construction Company, Hon Azom-Chine Uchenna handling, Nibo- Umuawulu-Mbaukwu Bypass road, during a phone conversation debunked the allegations that the road has been abandoned, saying that people should know that road work is a gradual process.That the funding is done bit by bit, and that even at the peak of the raining season that their company worked on that road.
He said that the work progress was a bit hindered due by Covid19 outbreak, workers that will attend to the road were not on site and that delayed raising certificate.
‘Prior to Covid19 pandemic, when certificate was raised, the project monitoring team came and inspected our works and once they were certified, Government funds us instantly but due to the economic downfall all over the country, the government has been religious in releasing money recently, and people should know that revenue Anambra State generates is not that loud.

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‘I assured that once the certificate is raised and certified, work will commence immediately’.
‘All this are coming from oppositions, who have vowed to bring this administration to riddicle’, he added.

While the Contractor handling Ukwuorji Awka Umuelechi Village Ifitte Nibo Isiagu road, J Quarison International limited, Engr Okey Goodluck Nwankwo did not respond to several calls to his cell phone but later responded to a short message seeking for his reaction on why the road project was abandoned.

He refered our reporter to the ministry of works claiming that ministry is in best position to answer to that, as according to him contractors do not speak to the press.

Efforts were made to have the audience of the commissioner of works Hon Marcel Ifejiofor but it was unsuccessful as he claimed he does not attend to official duties on weekends.After several calls on Monday, he managed to pick and said, he was in an Executive meeting and hurriedly switched off his phone.

He didn’t respond to further inquiries.

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