When the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting on May 2, 2018, approved the rehabilitation of the failed portion of the single lane road from Asaba to Illa-Ebu, Edo State border with Delta State, the joy of the affected communities knew no bounds. This is because the road has not been motorable for over two years.
The file for the contract, which was forwarded to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing’s legal department on May 25, 2018, for contract preparation agreement, was obviously speedily processed and work commenced in earnest on the 34-kilometer road. But the N830, 300, 356:76k road rehabilitation project, awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited, is now a source of concern for the Ebu Community, which is at the tail end of where the contract should terminate.
Narrating the pains of the community to The Nation in a telephone interview, its traditional ruler, the Onu of Ebu, HRH Paul Odilile Opile, explained that the road project, which has moved from Asaba to Ungbolu, has reached Illa before the stoppage.
According to the royal father, he has sent emissaries to the Federal Controller of Works, Moshood Jimoh, an engineer, in Asaba, to know why the work stopped at Illa, when the contract destination specified Ebu.
“To my chagrin, the explanation offered was not satisfactory. The Controller told them that the contractor said he would not be able to complete the road to Ebu. They asked him if it was the contractor that would determine where the road will stop or the scope of the work as contained in the contract he got,” he explained.
Not satisfied with explanations brought by his chiefs, the mornarch summoned the Head of Estate Department in his local government to ask questions. The local government officer eventually met Jimoh in Asaba for explanation.
He further said upon return, it was another set of information they got. “The Controller told the Head of Estate in the local government that they (Ministry) want to seek for monetary approval to build a better road,” he said, adding: “But my position is that since money has been approved for the road, why not conclude it first, at least, to make the place motorable, before fighting for better road.”
The royal father blamed the deplorable state of the road on the movement of Dangote trucks from Obajana, in Kogi State, en route Asaba and Onitsha markets, saying it is the fastest route for the drivers.
He further said the economic importance of the road is not only for his community, but the country, adding that the road leads to Uromi and Abuja. “Travelling this road to Abuja if in good condition reduces the journey by two hours. My people are farmers and it has become impossible to move our produce out to town and people now hardly come to our market, meaning bad economy for us. The continuous bad state of the road is affecting our economy,” Opile lamented.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to order the contractor, Setraco, back to site to complete the road rehabilitation to Ebu as specified in the terms of contract instead of stopping at Illa. This, he explained, is because the contract was awarded to get to Ebu and had been paid for. From Illa to Ebu is about 10 kilometers.
Efforts to get the contractor to speak proved abortive. Several calls made to the mobile phone number of the firm’s Head of Operations on the project, simply identified as Mr. Mitchell, were unanswered.
However, Jimoh, in a telephone interview with The Nation, explained that the initiative to rehabilitate the road was started by a former Director in the Ministry, called Ofuase, an engineer.
He explained that what has been done was a palliative measure for the road, which was funded from the Ecological fund. This, he further explained, is why the contract is divided into sections such that as more money is available, other sections will get attention.
For instance, he revealed that the work, which started from Asaba has got to Illa, which is about 25 kilometres. He noted that even at that, not the entire stretch of the 25 kilometres was fixed except the very bad portions.
“From Asaba to Illa is about 25 kilometers and we have been fixing the very bad portion. The project is funded from Ecological fund, not in the ministry’s budget. That is why the contract is broken into sections. The contract to Setraco was for Section 1, meaning it is not the end of the project. FERMA has been working on it, but it couldn’t cope so it had to be contracted out. The amount for the contract is not even enough to fix the road, that is why the contract is rehabilitation of major failed portions of the road. If we are to fix the entire 34 kilometer road, then the amount cannot even cover more than eight kilometres of the length. The road originally had a laterite base, now we are thinking of building a stone base road if we get approval for the new proposal,” Jimoh explained.
