By Orji Sampson
Exactly one year after the 3R government under the Leadership of Sen Hope Uzodinma was sworn into power, the Imo State Commissioner for Works, Hon Ralph Nwosu has declared that the shared prosperity administration has performed well especially in the area of road construction.
Speaking to Journalists in his office yesterday at the State Secretariat, the Commissioner who is on a 3rd missionary journey in the Ministry said the effects of Covid-19 pandemic and the Endsars protest largely affected delivery on its promises and responsibility which he said included building and maintaining roads.
“We inherited some projects when we came on board and in the spirit of continuity because government is continuum, we asked the contractors to continue with the already awarded projects.
“Some did and some didn’t even with huge amount of money already paid to them and we are after them to recover the funds
The commissioner who informed that the shared prosperity government has about 49 ongoing projects at various stages, also said that some critical areas were the contractors were not forth coming with instructions had to be revoked so that Imolites won’t suffer untold hardship.
Nwosu who lamented that if the past administrations had done the necessary and right things on road network, that the government of Sen Uzodinma would have busied itself with construction of rural roads adding that in the next few weeks that some of the roads will nearing completion and ready for use.
He stated that even with non favourable weather, that this administration was able to ensure that roads such Assumpta to Hospital junction on Port Harcourt road, Relief Market road and others were completed to help ameliorate people’s suffering.
While urging well meaning Imolites including journalists to already feel free to constructively ask questions to the contractors over the quality of job being done, he equally asked that Imolites should join forces with the government to work on a united front towards making the State better.
Nwosu recalled that on assumption of office that the present administration embarked on the maintenance of roads within the Owerri city.
According to him, the work involved repairing of failed sections and patching of pot holes.
The commissioner noted that after the Governor resolved to support the contractors complete the projects that most of them swung into action and produced results which he reeled out such as Rehabilitation/ Construction of Mgbidi-Oguta road, construction of Douglas-Naze junction-Umezuruike (Spure to Edede, Royce, Emmanuel College Layout among many others.
The road projects completed by the 3R government include; Aladinma Ring Roads fully completed with road marking by Frank and Gene Company,
Construction of Ring Roads behind Concorde Hotel, namely Thomas More/SP Ajaelu/Gozie Nwachukwu streets by Ministry of Works under direct labour service, The Construction of Douglas Road by CRISM NIG, LTD,
World Bank/Umuguma Road by Viche Resource NIG LTD,
The Construction of Okigwe/St Maris Catholic Church Road Okigwe LGA by Eighteenth Engineering Company Int’l LTD, and many others.
