The Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has been called on to immediately revoke the contract for the ongoing construction of Zik Avenue in Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
This request was inline with the pressure which is coming as a result of articulated vehicles excavating sands from River Niger plying the road on every minute with heavy loads.
Onitsha South Elders’ Forum (OSEF) in a statement which they made available to journalist in Onitsha after inspection of the construction work weekend, said the contracting firm (NEW DEAL Co) handling the work was using substandard materials which will make the road fail in no distant time when completed, investigation revealed that the bitumen and asphalts used were in low quality standard and the road are made to last for 20 years inline with the terms of the agreement.
In the statement signed by the chairman of the group, Dede Uzor A Uzor, they called on the Governor to direct the contractor to do a standard job or have the contract revoked if the contractor fails to carry out this directive.
The group recalled that Governor Soludo had revoked the construction work at Niger Street to Main Market when the same contractor was said to have become so slow and was using substandard materials.
“Now work is progressing on the road. They have laid the concrete base. And work on the pedestrian area is equally progressing. So, if the contractor handling the Zik Avenue refuses to do a good job, the governor should not hesitate to revoke the job” the group said.
They however lauded the Governor for awarding contracts for the reconstruction of major roads in Onitsha South especially in Fegge, saying that no Governor in the past had remembered Fegge in this manner.
Some of the roads under construction in Fegge are Niger Street, Porthacourt Road, Miss Elems, Creek Road among others.
They noted that contractors handling these other roads were trying, hoping that they would continue to maintain the standard or even improve upon it.
The group urged the Governor to award other important roads in the area in the second phase of his contract awards.
They mentioned the roads which need attention as Uga Street, Mbonu Ojike, Premier road, Orlu street by Arondizuogu among others, we plead to the governor to use this greatest opportunity to install gates in different strategic entrance leading to fegge community, which includes Bida by Odumeje gate, Bida by C. Plus Hotel, Ziks Avenu via Ochanja, Port Harcourt road gate, Agufere by Express gate, Premier, Uga street, Niger street, Main market Sokoto road among other expected gates.
The gates if installed will go a long way in providing the much needed security for the residents of fegge”, OSEF added.
