BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR
THE Delta State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, move in and rehabilitate the dilapidated Asaba-Onitsha expressway to save the lives and properties of the users.
According to the Commissioner for Works (Rural and Riverine Roads), Mr. Charles Aniagwu: “We had even before now intervened in some of the federal roads. We also pleaded with the Federal Government to fast-track the rehabilitation of those roads.
“We were told that some of them are under contracts. For instance, if you go to Asaba and heading to Onitsha, we are told that it is under contract.
“A while ago, I spoke to the acting zonal controller of the Federal Ministry of Works and he told me that they were hoping that in about a weeks, the contractor will return to site.
“Our people are having harrowing experience motoring along that corridor. The funny thing is that you can’t just come to take action on a road under contract; you will need to do some form of negotiations. We are hoping that the contractor goes back to site.”
Speaking while inspecting the recently completed Obi-Ibabu-Ibabu road in Ndokwa West Local Council, he expressed dissatisfaction with its finishing, saying Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s urban renewal plans for the state were now yielding tangible fruits across urban centres of the state.
On Monday, July 22, in Warri, the commissioner, accompanied by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Sir Festus Ahon, and the functioning Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Solomon Aghagba, an engineer, while speaking to journalists after an inspection of reconstruction of Upper and Lower Erejuwa, Esisi and hospital roads, said the resurfacing of the road signposts Oborevwori’s urban renewal plans for Warri and other urban centres across the state.
Aniagwu said: “Before we came to this place, we inspected some roads in Sapele. Those are some roads that we are trying to construct, so that we can clean up the Sapele axis. We are hoping that any time from now, we will have groundbreaking to signal the commencement of works on those roads.
“Here in Warri, we came to look at the roads supervised by my colleague in the Ministry of Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze.
“On the hospital road, there is a little part of it that has not been completed because the local government was trying to handle about 130 -metre stretch of it, but they didn’t do it properly and we are going to communicate to the governor for us to be able to clean up that corridor.
“From what I have seen from the other roads, the contractor has done a very wonderful job and anytime from now, the governor will be available to commission this road, which will signal the official commencement of their usage.”
He added: “We are happy that our urban renewal programme is indeed yielding good results. You can see that the governor’s intention to do more for the people is also yielding fruits and so the people are happy.
“But like we said, the people have not seen anything yet, because his excellency, as spelt out in his MORE Agenda, is very much ready to do more. So, we are pleased with what we have seen.”
On the payment of compensation for structures along the right of way in the Sapele projects, Aniagwu explained that “if your structure is on the right of way and it happened that you didn’t build where you are not supposed to build, definitely we will compensate you.
“But there are those who intentionally left their plot of lands and decided to encroach on the right of road already created before now; we are not going to compensate them because they built their fences or shops on the road.”
The commissioner explained that the state government always made provision for drains to ensure the durability of roads, adding: “A number of the roads constructed, we have ensured that they have dual side drains, depending on the topography of the area and how the water flows. There are some areas that you can build just one drain, so that it does not affect the pavement of the road.
“Drains are not just to beautify the roads, but also to ensure that the roads last longer, because you are able to take away the flood water to a particular water channel.
“So, be rest assured that, as a government, we are constructing roads that will suit our people, the first reason why we are in government is because they have given us the mandate. Like you know, to whom much is given, much is expected.
“Our people in Delta made sacrifices by electing Oborevwori, so the governor himself is going to make sacrifice by serving them to the best of his ability.”
He had ealier assured that the state government would reconstruct the failed Okirighwre-Benin road and other internal roads in Sapele to ease movement for motorists within the area.
Aniagwu, who was in company of the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olorogun Kingsley Esiso; Chairman of Sapele Local Government, Mr. Bright Abeke, and Ahon, said Oborevwori was concerned about the harrowing experience of motorists on the failed Okirighwre-Benin road.
Other roads inspected and billed for construction include Shell road Extension, Eseimoni Street and environs, Major Bowen road and Benin road by GKM.
“His excellency has a bird eye view of most of the areas in Delta, particularly, the roads. He got a report that this particular spot is not looking good and that our people are spending sometime navigating through this corridor and he asked that I should proceed to take a look at what is happening here, so that we can begin action of cleaning it up.
“We will not just make this road motorable, but reconstruct the road. For now, we are going to give it to a contractor that will be able to work, in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, so that at the end of the day, we are able to have a road that functions for our people.
“Don’t forget that there are many other roads we are constructing in Sapele Local Government Area. It’s part of the urban renewal plan of his excellency to make our cities beautiful and make our people commute effectively.
“So, I am happy that the chairman of our great party is here, that tells you that there is a very good collaboration between our government and the party that produced it.”
Esiso appreciated Oborevwori for his interest in developing Sapele and other parts of the state, adding that PDP was proud of his achievements in just one year in office.
“Let me appreciate our governor for taking this action of asking the commissioner to come and see what is happening on this road. This road has been terribly bad and our people passing this place have been suffering. But today, with what is going on now, this place will become motorable in the next few months.
“I am also aware that the governor has good intentions for the people of Sapele, as the reconstruction of this road is going to bring more glory to our party, the PDP.
“If the governor is doing well, our party is doing well, because it is the party that produces the governor and as the chairman, I am very happy that we have a performing governor who is making our work easier as a party.”
Abeke, on his part, expressed delight at the prospects of constructing more roads in Sapele, noting: “First, I want to assure you that the people of Sapele will be very happy with what the governor has come to do here. If you go to Hardock road, you will see what he is doing there. The governor is working on many roads already in Sapele.
“The people of Sapele have complained to me about this road and I said we will come and see what temporary measure we can put in place here.
“Today, we are not talking of temporary measures here, but something permanent. Indeed, the governor is working and by the special grace of God, as the chairman of Sapele Local Government Council, in the next three months, Sapele people will testify.”
