AWO OMAMMA/OKWUDOR ROAD ABANDONED, CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE ARRESTED OR COMPELLED BACK TO SITE… OFODIRINWA
Governor Hope Uzodimma’s kinsman and Community Leader in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, Chief Eric Ofodirinwa (Mmanwu Awo) has called for a total probe, arrest and public scrutiny over the abandonment of the popular Awo- Omamma/Okwudor road first awarded by the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma in 2020 promised to be completed within 18 months.
The road was among the major roads awarded by the governor on complimentary purposes because of the economic basis of the road but was abandoned with ignominy by the contractor who incidentally was the Governor’s friend as the negligence is the way the government settled him for the efforts during and after the campaign in 2019.
Currently the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma or the Commissioner for work Barr Raphael Obioha are no longer interested in the work several months after the negligence and abandonment of the road even when they failed woefully to complete and commission same as openly promised by Senator Hope Uzodimma.
It could be recalled that other roads awarded after the Awo- Omamma Okwudor road in both Oru East and Oguta has been completed and Commissioned when the area suffers the same security challenges and now the only reason for the abandoning the road was purportedly occasioned by the prevalent insecurity in the area as Awo- Omamma Okwudor road is the worst hit.
In his submission Chief Eric Ofodirinwa (Mmanwu Awo) stated that the people are interested to identify the contractor and force him back to the site to ensure completion of the project as the road has become a death trap for motorist and vehicles operators and opined for the contractors to be arrested to serve as a deterrant to others.
In his word “While we are searching for the contractor, I plead to the government to save this critically vital road from its ongoing collapse”.
” From Afor Awo market to Power Line the road has become totally dilapidated/destroyed due poor construction work”, The rainy season is almost here again, if nothing is done urgently, Awo-omamma will be cut off from assessing the major Federal roads”.
“The most alarming security aspects of this road is, that as usual, it will force people to use dangerous track roads where local criminals urchins will attack them, snatch their motorcycles, goods and other personal items”.
“I’ve addressed this road situation with the Local government Chairman, it appears to me that remedial actions are above the Local Government without express support and or authorization from the State”. He said.
He therefore called on the Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma to come and redeem his promises and put the road into use as the road also served his Omuma community in some many ways as a major entrance road to Oru East Council headquarters Omuma.
Responding Commissioner for work Imo State Chief Barr Raphael Obiora was not able to comment on the ugly development as he wasn’t able to answer calls and never returned back to the callers at the time of filling the report as he was accused of negligence, absconding from duty and inadequate supervision.
The abandoned road has put a question mark to the claims by the Commissioner for work and the governor Senator Hope Uzodimma on the road infrastructure development in the State as a ruse and fabrication to decieve the State.