We shall not relent to cry foul as long as the Ota-Ona –Awolowo Road project is not executed as at when due.This monumental contract sum (N2.2billion), enough to build a hundred kilometer road in some countries is what is being expended to build a one kilometer road in Ikorodu that has lasted over two years and caused an unquantifiable inconvenience and misery to residents and road users.
The contract for this straight road that has no major obstacles such as swamps, gully, erosion sites, rocks etc was signed two years ago about the same time as the Ibeshe road contract.
The magnificent Ibeshe road, which passes through very terrible terrains is almost completed; yet, the Awolowo road contract is nowhere near completion. Surprisingly, the Ministry of Works that is supposed to push the speed of work and scold the erring contractor seems to be defending the contractors by giving the excuse of rains on their behalf.
The questions on the lips of Ikorodu people are, "How did Arab contractors finish a more difficult assignment ahead of the Awolowo road contractor or is it true that the contractor, who is said to be well connected to the powers above, used the money for the job for political campaigns in Ondo State where he is said to come from?"
Is it also true that the contract sum may have been jacked up from N2.2 billion to accommodate some sharp practices?
The ready answers by many road users are that the Awolowo road contract is being badly executed.
It is like giving a bricklayer's job to a tailor to execute; hence, people are now calling on the state government to revoke this contract and give it to a committed contractor or else, people will conclude it is another evidence of corruption at work.
The magnificent Ibeshe road, which passes through very terrible terrains is almost completed; yet, the Awolowo road contract is nowhere near completion. Surprisingly, the Ministry of Works that is supposed to push the speed of work and scold the erring contractor seems to be defending the contractors by giving the excuse of rains on their behalf.
The questions on the lips of Ikorodu people are, "How did Arab contractors finish a more difficult assignment ahead of the Awolowo road contractor or is it true that the contractor, who is said to be well connected to the powers above, used the money for the job for political campaigns in Ondo State where he is said to come from?"
Is it also true that the contract sum may have been jacked up from N2.2 billion to accommodate some sharp practices?
The ready answers by many road users are that the Awolowo road contract is being badly executed.
It is like giving a bricklayer's job to a tailor to execute; hence, people are now calling on the state government to revoke this contract and give it to a committed contractor or else, people will conclude it is another evidence of corruption at work.
Obafemi Awolowo road youth write BRF over contractor's shoddy work
The youths of Obafemi Awolowo road from Ota-Ona junction to Oke-Ota Ona, Ikorodu, under the aegis of Youth Advocacy For Good Governance, Ikorodu has finally given SEG MASHEN NIGERIA LIMITED, the construction company handling the reconstruction and expansion of Obafemi Awolowo road, Ikorodu to leave the project completely so that government can bring in a better construction company to handle it.
Early this year, the Lagos State House Committee on Works led by Hon. Rotimi Olowo, with Hon. Sinai O.B. Agunbiade and others, as well as directors in the state ministry of works and infrastructures visited the site during the House Committees' oversight function of monitoring projects across the state. They all condemned the shoddy work by the construction company.
Rather than improve as pledged early in the year when the honourable members visited, which calmed the frayed nerves of the protesting youths and residents of the areas, the company did not fare any better almost 10 months after. SEG MASHEN had abandoned the project on several occasions only to appear again at will and give all sorts of excuses at the detriment of the residents and other road users.
The situation is now getting out of hand as the youths are now getting restive. Oriwu Sun reliably gathered that Hon. Agunbiade and other senior residents might be unable to hold the youths back again as they have been doing for months.
The youths, during their protest in October, 2012, asked the construction company to leave and allow government to bring in a more competent construction company.
SEG MASHEN, which has its company on the Island, the youths reliably informed Oriwu Sun, is a Water Engineering Company and not a Civil Engineering Company, which is why the work is been shoddily handled. The company itself recognizes its lack of competence when few weeks ago, it replaced the old project manager with a new one, Mr. Owolabi, who admitted fundamental problems which arose from the bad work being carried out by the company and why the old manager was removed.
Meanwhile, the youths of the area, under the umbrella of YOUTH ADVOCACY FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, IKORODU, comprising Grammar school, Ojoru, Water works, Ota-Ona, Erunwen, Itamaga, Radio Area, Agunbiade Close, Dejuwogbo and Next Generation youths, have petitioned the Governor, Mr. Raji Babatunde Fashola and copied Lagos State House Of Assembly, HRH, Oba (Dr) Oyesfusi, CON and other quarters on the plights of the residents due to activities of the construction company. They called for their intervention before they are pushed to the wall and decide to react.
In their petition, the youths stated that the company is adopting a snail-pace like under a false impression that it is the one financing the project. "This company started by adopting a snail style of approach to the construction of the road, behaving as if they were only doing the people of Ikorodu a favour with the construction of the road. They presented a picture of father Christmas with false impression that they are bankrolling the project."
"Your Excellency, we sadly want to let you know that the road project has been abandoned without any explanation to the people of the area in particular and entire users of the road in general. May we also let you know that the road claims lives on daily basis. Besides, the men of the underworld have now found the road as an opportunity to unleashed terror on our people", the youths said in their petition.
Another difficulty stated by the youths in their petition was that the shoddy work on the road is causing serial accidents where lives are been lost daily. "If vehicles do not run into walls, they will plunge into stream or drainage and when it is not vehicle, it is Okada and whenever this happens, it leaves the people with gnashing of teeth as scores of lives are lost."
The youths, who also claimed in their petition that they are aware that the company got the contract to the tune of N4billion from government's cover, queried why the company that was paid with tax payers money will be causing the people untold hardship and pains. They then warned that they are writing the petition to the government, especially the Governor, believing that there will be quick intervention in order to forestall the youths going on a rampage and causing bad image for the government and ACN, the party most of them belong and have been supporting.
Meanwhile, Oriwu Sun learnt that the company, having learnt about the planned rally/protest of the youths on October Saturday 13th, 2012 became jittery and reported at the police station that the youths of the area are planning to sack them from the site violently.
This resulted in the invitation of the leadership of the Youth Advocacy For Good Governance, Ikorodu, led Mr Okoko Olalekan, chairman YAFGG.
At the station, Oriwu Sun reliably gathered that the police made it known to the construction company led by its Project manager, Mr. Owolabi that they cannot arrest or detain the youths for planning to exercise their rights against the shoddy work being done by the construction company on the road and enjoined them to go back to its host community and make peace. In the same manner, the youths were also advised by the police to conduct themselves in peaceful and good manner as police will not tolerate any action that threatens the public peace.
Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade, on arriving at the scene, prevailed on the youths and residents numbering about 500, to shelve the protest. A meeting with the company later held in its place.
At the meeting were Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade, Hon. Olosugbo Aziz Jimoh, (leader Ikorodu legislative arm and Councilor of the ward), Mr. Okoko Olalekan, (the Advocay Group chairman), Comrade Adeleke Akadiri, (chairman National Youths Council of Nigeria, Ikorodu chapter), Alhaji Elkanga, Alhaji Savage and a host of other stakeholders in the community with the youths and residents.
At the meeting, the company project manager, Mr. Owolabi, pleaded with the youths and residents of the communities and accepted that there are fundamental errors which led to the removal of the old project manager, Mr. Bello and his replacement. He assured that the company is aware of the deadline given to it by the state government, which is December 15, 2012.
Meanwhile, the residents of the area have asked the state government to allow its engineers from the ministry of works and infrastructures to constantly inspect the project as the company is doing sub-standard work. They alleged that the slaps covering the drainage are not supported with iron which has resulted into several accidents as people walk on it.
In a interview with Hon. Ola Animashaun, former member, Lagos State House of Assembly, also a resident of the area, he queried the idea behind the government contracting the road half way instead of contracting the entire stretch of the road to competent contractor. "If you go to Itamaga today, you would not believe that you are still in Lagos State and I don't see the rationale behind awarding half of the length of the road and abandoning the other half to rot completely."
Early this year, the Lagos State House Committee on Works led by Hon. Rotimi Olowo, with Hon. Sinai O.B. Agunbiade and others, as well as directors in the state ministry of works and infrastructures visited the site during the House Committees' oversight function of monitoring projects across the state. They all condemned the shoddy work by the construction company.
Rather than improve as pledged early in the year when the honourable members visited, which calmed the frayed nerves of the protesting youths and residents of the areas, the company did not fare any better almost 10 months after. SEG MASHEN had abandoned the project on several occasions only to appear again at will and give all sorts of excuses at the detriment of the residents and other road users.
The situation is now getting out of hand as the youths are now getting restive. Oriwu Sun reliably gathered that Hon. Agunbiade and other senior residents might be unable to hold the youths back again as they have been doing for months.
The youths, during their protest in October, 2012, asked the construction company to leave and allow government to bring in a more competent construction company.
SEG MASHEN, which has its company on the Island, the youths reliably informed Oriwu Sun, is a Water Engineering Company and not a Civil Engineering Company, which is why the work is been shoddily handled. The company itself recognizes its lack of competence when few weeks ago, it replaced the old project manager with a new one, Mr. Owolabi, who admitted fundamental problems which arose from the bad work being carried out by the company and why the old manager was removed.
Meanwhile, the youths of the area, under the umbrella of YOUTH ADVOCACY FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE, IKORODU, comprising Grammar school, Ojoru, Water works, Ota-Ona, Erunwen, Itamaga, Radio Area, Agunbiade Close, Dejuwogbo and Next Generation youths, have petitioned the Governor, Mr. Raji Babatunde Fashola and copied Lagos State House Of Assembly, HRH, Oba (Dr) Oyesfusi, CON and other quarters on the plights of the residents due to activities of the construction company. They called for their intervention before they are pushed to the wall and decide to react.
In their petition, the youths stated that the company is adopting a snail-pace like under a false impression that it is the one financing the project. "This company started by adopting a snail style of approach to the construction of the road, behaving as if they were only doing the people of Ikorodu a favour with the construction of the road. They presented a picture of father Christmas with false impression that they are bankrolling the project."
"Your Excellency, we sadly want to let you know that the road project has been abandoned without any explanation to the people of the area in particular and entire users of the road in general. May we also let you know that the road claims lives on daily basis. Besides, the men of the underworld have now found the road as an opportunity to unleashed terror on our people", the youths said in their petition.
Another difficulty stated by the youths in their petition was that the shoddy work on the road is causing serial accidents where lives are been lost daily. "If vehicles do not run into walls, they will plunge into stream or drainage and when it is not vehicle, it is Okada and whenever this happens, it leaves the people with gnashing of teeth as scores of lives are lost."
The youths, who also claimed in their petition that they are aware that the company got the contract to the tune of N4billion from government's cover, queried why the company that was paid with tax payers money will be causing the people untold hardship and pains. They then warned that they are writing the petition to the government, especially the Governor, believing that there will be quick intervention in order to forestall the youths going on a rampage and causing bad image for the government and ACN, the party most of them belong and have been supporting.
Meanwhile, Oriwu Sun learnt that the company, having learnt about the planned rally/protest of the youths on October Saturday 13th, 2012 became jittery and reported at the police station that the youths of the area are planning to sack them from the site violently.
This resulted in the invitation of the leadership of the Youth Advocacy For Good Governance, Ikorodu, led Mr Okoko Olalekan, chairman YAFGG.
At the station, Oriwu Sun reliably gathered that the police made it known to the construction company led by its Project manager, Mr. Owolabi that they cannot arrest or detain the youths for planning to exercise their rights against the shoddy work being done by the construction company on the road and enjoined them to go back to its host community and make peace. In the same manner, the youths were also advised by the police to conduct themselves in peaceful and good manner as police will not tolerate any action that threatens the public peace.
Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade, on arriving at the scene, prevailed on the youths and residents numbering about 500, to shelve the protest. A meeting with the company later held in its place.
At the meeting were Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade, Hon. Olosugbo Aziz Jimoh, (leader Ikorodu legislative arm and Councilor of the ward), Mr. Okoko Olalekan, (the Advocay Group chairman), Comrade Adeleke Akadiri, (chairman National Youths Council of Nigeria, Ikorodu chapter), Alhaji Elkanga, Alhaji Savage and a host of other stakeholders in the community with the youths and residents.
At the meeting, the company project manager, Mr. Owolabi, pleaded with the youths and residents of the communities and accepted that there are fundamental errors which led to the removal of the old project manager, Mr. Bello and his replacement. He assured that the company is aware of the deadline given to it by the state government, which is December 15, 2012.
Meanwhile, the residents of the area have asked the state government to allow its engineers from the ministry of works and infrastructures to constantly inspect the project as the company is doing sub-standard work. They alleged that the slaps covering the drainage are not supported with iron which has resulted into several accidents as people walk on it.
In a interview with Hon. Ola Animashaun, former member, Lagos State House of Assembly, also a resident of the area, he queried the idea behind the government contracting the road half way instead of contracting the entire stretch of the road to competent contractor. "If you go to Itamaga today, you would not believe that you are still in Lagos State and I don't see the rationale behind awarding half of the length of the road and abandoning the other half to rot completely."
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