Anambra House Speaker urges RCC to return to site

Wed, Sep 2, 2020
By editor
3 MIN READ

Politics

THE Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Uche Okafor has urged the contractors RCC, which is handling the Refurbishing of the Enugu – Onitsha Expressway, to return to site and stop exposing the road users to danger.

Okafor noted that the contractors had yet to return to site after the Federal Government eased the lockdown on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okafor, who expressed concerns over the present condition of the road, described it as `a death trap’.

The Speaker told newsmen in his office in Awka that the apparent abandonment was causing unnecessary traffic congestion. “Due to demarcations on the road placed by the contractors, it has caused a lot of inconveniences for road users.

“For example, between Awka and Abba Junction, which ordinarily will take five minutes, is now taking more than 45 minutes.

“Just recently, Gov. Willie Obiano called the Works Minister, Babatunde Fashola, to complain about the failure of the contractors to return to site and the minister expressed surprise.

“That is to tell you that the governor has been mounting pressure on the federal government to ensure they are back to sustain the good project that the governor attracted.

“The non completion of the road has adversely affected other roads. The old road for instance, which was designed for specified vehicles, is now inundated by heavy trucks that ply on it on a daily basis,’’ Okafor said.

He commended President Buhari for awarding the contract and other signature projects in the state and South East in general. The Speaker called on the federal government to issue marching orders to the contractors to resume while assuring speedy job delivery. The Assembly had recently passed a resolution, calling the attention of the federal government to the site.

The resolution followed a motion raised by Majority Leader and member representing Awka South 1 Constituency, Mr Nnamdi Okafor.

Okafor in his Motion said that the Enugu-Onitsha expressway was a major highway that connected the South-West through the River Niger to the South-East, South-South, and Northern Nigeria via Benue and Kogi.

According to him the reconstruction contract was awarded to Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) in November 2018 with a completion period of 42 months.

He noted that the contractors were doing well until the lockdown.

“We are worried that the contractor, RCC, has yet to return to site about five months after stoppage of work; the reconstruction may be abandoned again as was done in the past.’’

– Sept. 2 2020 @ 17:15 GMT |

Tags: