N1.5b Road Project: Delta Community Youths Protest Shoddy Construction Work 

Youths, under the auspices of ‘Concerned Indigenes Of Ikpide-Irri, Isoko South Local Government area of Delta State have protested the community’s N1.5 billion road project.

The project being done by a Maritime company, Portplus Limited has been a subject of controversy since the project was awarded by Delta state Governor,  Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in 2017.

Initially awarded for N736.4 million, the concrete pavement road contract was given to Portplus Limited, a Lagos based marine service company owned by an indigene of the community.

The governor later reviewed the contract upward to the tune of N1.5 billion naira following protest over  the shoddy job purportedly being done by the contractor.

The protesting  indigenes had in 2018 in a strong-worded petition addressed to Governor Okowa, signed by their counsel, C.F. Ebu, of the legacy chambers, Asaba, condemned the substandard job being done by the contractor and called for strict adherence to the BEME and BOQ.

The indigenes who stormed the street in a peaceful protest against the ‘substandard’ work said that Portplus Limited has been  adamant about the road project despite several warnings and protests against the poor quality of job being done.

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Protesting the road project, community’s indigenes, on Monday, vowed to fight with the last drop of their blood in making sure the contractor is sent to prison at the end of the day.

Speaking during the protest, one of the leaders of the placards carrying protesters who identified himself as Blessing Ese and chairman of Ikpide-Irri Progress Union, Ughelli branch, disclosed that despite several protests against poor quality of job by the contractor for the past three years, no meaningful changes have been seen and he continued to use substandard materials for the project.

Ese, however expressed displeasure on the continued usage of substandard materials, lamenting; “The most painful aspect is that the contractor is an indigene of the community. For over three years we have been protesting against his shoddy job, he refused to change for the better. Following our protest, his governor friend, Okowa reviewed the contract upward to almost two billion naira yet he continued to use substandard materials for us. God bless the executive and members of the Isoko Monitoring Group, (IMG) for all the supports and speaking against the shoddy project.

“We are therefore warning and calling on Portplus limited to as a matter of urgency and importance, execute the contract according to the state government specifications using the approved BEME and BOQ for the contract. Can you imagine, this kind of swampy terrain, the contractor used 10mm rods for the construction of culverts instead of required 16mm rods according to the BOQ. I pity some hungry leaders in the community who have been bribed by the contractor to seal their lips.”

Speaking in the same vein, a visibly angry protester, who simply identified himself as Emmanuel stated that the President General of the community, Lucky Edemo and his executive have shown how weak and afraid they are as such not capable to lead the community, alleging that some of the directors and engineers of the state ministry of works have collected bribes from the contractor hence his boldness to continue with shoddy job in the community.

According to Emmanuel, “Enough is enough, already the Delta state government said indigenes must take charge of projects domiciled in their community and monitor such projects. This people have taken us for a ride for too long. Just imagine, the former President General of Ikpide-Irri, Michael Omojefe, elder brother to the contractor handling the project telling people that the contract is a ‘kolanut’ from governor Okowa to his brother because of his financial contribution to Okowa’s governorship elections in 2015.

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“Government and private monitoring teams of engineers have visited this project, all condemned the shoddy job. In 2018, the Delta state government condemned this same project and described it as shoddy. This is a fraud of the highest order; this is pure wickedness, greed and we will no longer watch anybody to short-change us because of personal greed and selfishness. Portplus is defrauding us, a job of almost two billion naira, you can’t do a standard job for your own community but maximizing huge project. We shall send you to prison just watch and see.”, Emmanuel said.

When contacted as at the time of filing in this report, a representative of Portplus Limited and site surveyor, Iyke Chidindu, said, “Since the commencement of the contract, there has been series of one complain to another and protests upon protests following internal issues among indigenes. They keep saying we are not doing the right thing and I don’t know the right thing they want us to do.  I don’t want to talk more than this.”