Council chiefs fume over dam project

Controversy over the N2.57 billion Adada Dam Project in Enugu State awarded to one Rudo Nigeria limited deepened at the weekend as the host communities have called for the immediate probe of the activities of the project contractor. In a press briefing addressed by three council chairmen from Enugu North Senatorial zone on Saturday in Enugu, they alleged that the action of the contractor of the project was an indication of fraud, calling on the federal government to not only revoke the contract, but also ensure that the contractor was prosecuted.The Chairmen, Hon. Tony Ugwu of Nsukka, Cornnel Onwubuya of Uzo-Uwani and Hon. Festus Ozoemena of Igbo-Etiti Council Areas, alleged that for the contractor to abandon the project for over one year after he was adequately mobilized showed that he lacked the competence to execute the project.They, therefore, disclosed that the decision became necessary in the face of the rising tension in the affected communities, stressing that it was getting to a point where they may be unable to contain the anger of the people. 'It is generating a lot of tension among the people; they are even beginning to think that we connived with the contractor. It is now over one year that the contract was awarded, but nothing is in the site.'We are calling on the federal government to look for a competent contractor; this is a technical project and any mistake portends danger for our people. If the dam is poorly done, we shall wake up one day to discover that we have been wiped away by flood.'We suspect fraud because the reason given by the contractor does not hold water, and for that we are asking security agents to come and do their work', Onwubuya stated.Similarly, his counterpart, Hon. Ozoemena described as frivolous, claims by the contractor that the company was awaiting the project's engineering drawing from the ministry of water resources.According to the Engineer: 'we have consulted with the ministry of water resources and we were clearly told us that the contractor has the engineering drawing. Of course, as a seasoned engineer for over 20 years, I know that the contractor's claim was not true.'This is a contractor that has been mobilized with N289 million, yet they are not even in the site; few days ago, we noticed that they came there pretending to be doing something. Our people said they are not going to allow that because it would amount to shabby job'.
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