The member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency cum Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu has come under fire for allegedly leaving out Idumuje-Unor Community, Aniocha north local government area of Delta State from the three kilometer road project awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for construction from Onicha-Uku to Idumuje-Unor to the tune of N245 million.
The allegation was made on Monday 28th December 2020, by the Chairman of the Grand Reception, Prof. Augustine Chiedu Odinma, in his remarks in honour of Justice Samuel Chukwudumebi Oseji, at Idumuje-Unor.
Prof. Odinma in the presence of Hon. Elumelu, affirmed that records showed that the road was to link Idumuje-Unor from Onicha-Uku, but instead, Elumelu purportedly terminated it at the boundary after the Onicha-Uku section, thereby leaving out Idumuje-Unor from the project.
He called on the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, to investigate the matter and ensure that the right thing was done, otherwise it would mean that the Idumuje community was not part of the Federal Constituency (Aniocha/Oshimili), been represented by the federal lawmaker.
Meanwhile, it was alleged that same instance took place when Elumelu was previously in the House of Representatives where a road contract was awarded for his community, which he purportedly terminated at Ukwu-Nzu boundary.
It was learnt that the Obi of Ukwu-Nzu had cried out then but there was no proper forum to better air the grievances of the community until the state government came to their rescue and constructed the road from the boundary into Ukwu-Nzu town.
In what looked like a defence of the lawmaker over the Idumuje-Unor/Onicha-Uku road project, Okowa, during his speech at the event said the sum of N245 million could not effectively cover a three kilometer road with the current reality.
He said the problem with NDDC was that they do not do proper roads that can stand the test of time, accusing the agency of incapable of doing proper Bill of Quantity (BoQ) before executing road projects.
Hear him: “I have taken note of some of the requests made. Mr. Prof. Sir, when we make too many requests, sometimes they become lost along the line but the important thing is that I have noted those that I can remember, I may not be able to remember all. But I believe that at any point in time that a governor visits his people, if the people have no request, then the people cannot really be said to be a people because whatever a government has done in any community, there is always something undone.
“And therefore, all communities ought to rise up and utilize the opportunity to make some requests and that is exactly what you have done. But I have not seen the NDDC paper but I was worried when you said you have seen the NDDC paper and he said it is a three kilometer road for N245 million. I will be very worried if that is the situation because I am truly worried if N245 million can do a three kilometer road in modern times and do it properly, that is my worry”.
Continuing Okowa said: “So, I think its something that we need to look into and be sure that it is better for them to do the road partly and do it well than to spend the money on a road and it will not be complete because in modern day Nigeria and that is what we are quereling with concerning the NDDC, most of their roads don’t last because they are not doing what the people call Bill of Quantity.
“They are not doing it the way it ought to be done. Today’s naira is weak and if we want to do a road properly in this part of the state and in all parts of Delta, N245 million by contract cannot do a three kilometer road. Except if is an already existing road and they are just doing what we call surfacing. So I just hope that we need to work together and we need to find out the real truth concerning that contract so that it will not end up like one of those contracts that may not last the length of time.
“But we will look into that since my brother Ndudi Elumelu is involved so that we see how far they are able to go and we will see what we can do concerning that”, Okowa said.
He however, promised to look into the matter with a bid to ensuring that the road was done, pointing out that it would not be in 2021, as the budget had already been passed, adding that the issue of the secondary school and issues raised about health centres have been noted.
