By onyekachi eze
The contractor handling Uzoubi-Umuna Orlu road, Imo State Ebi-hitech Construction Company, Bishop Oamen recently escaped lynching as angry youths of the community attacked him over the erosion menace that struck the place, yesterday after the heavy down pour.
The contractor who is from Edo state is said to have caused the flood that swept away about four houses, and shops over what was termed “inexperienced job” by Bishop Oamen, Director General of Ebi-hitech construction company.
Trumpeta investigation revealed that the contractor started work on the road for the past 3 days without initial consultation to the monarch, youth leaders or the villagers to ascertain the major ways of combating the occurrence of such natural disaster. Unfortunately on Wednesday, Bishop Oamen went to the site with his 2 machines and cleared the sand blocks the villagers and residents of the area used to check erosion incase of such down pour. Unfortunately, during process rain started.
However, the victims of the erosion managed to escape the flooding to avoid being drowned, but their property worth millions naira and their livestock were destroyed, while building collapsed due to the heavy downpour.
Meanwhile, the youths of the community who were affected by the flood furiously wanted to descend on the contractor for his ignorance but were stopped by the youth leader of the community Chief Columbus Nwadike. Narrating the situation to Trumpeta, Chief Nwadike regretted the inconvenience of the erosion, stating that the Governor Okorocha should not be blamed because he has good intentions to construct the roads of Imo state for the good of all, blame should go to some of the contractors with little or no experience in construction work. The youth leader have calmed the angry youths and urged the contractor, to look for a suitable means of preventing further occurrence. He urged him to do so before the commencement of another down pour to avert more disaster
Later, speaking in the palace of the traditional ruler where the community took the contractor to, the monarch, H.R.H, Eze B.C Okereke frowned at the ugly incident and blamed the contractor for commencing work in an area without getting in touch with inhabitants of the area. Eze Okereke however pleaded with the youths and victims to see the occurrence as a sacrifice and not to make war with the contractor.
Some of the flood victims whose shops, houses and poultry were destroyed lamented that before the contractor started the work, they tried to educate him and let him know the topography of the area but he refused to listen to them. They lamented why the Governor did not give the job to the first contracting company that did almost the roads of Orlu metropolis which people were satisfied with.
“The only construction company we feel that would have done the work effectively is JP contracting company. He knows our topography and Orlu in
