By Okey Alozie.
Imo State Governor Owelle Rochas last week released more money for the road contract projects in the 27 local government areas in the State that are still ongoing.
Information available to us revealed that over 80 percent of the road project money have now been released.
Moreover, the Governor has now given the contractors marching order to complete their jobs before April ending.
It was alleged that about 2 Commissioners and 3 Transition Committee Chairmen from Okigwe zone are now in serious trouble for not handling their own road project effectively as directed by Governor Okorocha.
Also, that of Ngor Okpala is said to be causing trouble as the contractor has vanished from site following some disagreements about payments.
The Government appointees were alleged to have used their private companies to defraud and syphone the public fund meant for road contract. Observers said these Transition Committee Chairmen and Commissioners were actually in charge of the road project in their respective local government areas, but refused to follow government specification on the job. They were alleged to have reduced the specifications and handled the job given to them to their own dictates rather than that of the State government. It was reported that the job handled by these commissioners and TC chairmen whose names were withheld for now could not meet standard and as a result they are in big trouble now.
The road project monitoring team as we learnt has stormed Okigwe zone and sister communities were report showed that the contracts were not properly handled.
Investigation revealed that the contractors refused to swing into serious action on the road contract jobs the moment the first money was released to them.
Instead they resolved to use the money for settlement of family problems and to make their loyalist very happy.
The first and second rains took them unawares and wiped away all the red soils that were applied on the site. As of now problem on some of the roads undergoing construction have been doubled because of the last rain fall in Imo which wrecked havoc on many sites.
