Delta Community Writes NDDC Over Abandoned Oviri-Olomu/Ewu Road Project

By Balogun Babamije
 
The people of Oviri Olomu in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, led by the President General, Chief John Ewenede, have written a Save Our Souls (SOS) message to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC over an abandoned road project in the area.
 
The project, Oviri-Olomu/Ewu Road, according to the letter signed by the President General, Chief John Ewenede and other leaders of the community and made available to newsmen, was awarded since December 2004 to ALCON Nig. LTD, but was abandoned by the company after carrying out skeletal work.
 
The project which was initially described as landmark by the people of Olomu kingdom was meant to connect Olomu, Ewu, Okparabe and Arhavwarien kingdoms all in Ughelli South Local Government Area and the Ngbilebiri Mein kingdoms of Burutu Local Government Area all in Delta State, and to facilitate the economic development of the area, the state and the nation.
 
Part of the letter reads,’the good people of Olomu, Ewu, Okparabe and Arhavwarien kingdoms are appealing to NDDC to come to their aids in respect of the abandoned construction work on the Oviri-Olomu Ewu Road project.

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“The contract for the road project was awarded by NDDC to ALCON Nig Ltd since December 16, 2004 (NDDC/EDP/2/DT/PR/131); while the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for the project was awarded to Law Environment And Development Associates on August 21, 2006,(NDDC/EPI/36/Vol.11/65).
 
“The landmark project for the construction of Oviri-Olomu Ewu road was meant to connect the above mentioned kingdoms and the Ngbilebiri Mein kingdoms to the East-West road, and to improve the socio-economic lives of the people but was later abandoned after some preliminary works were done.
 
It stated further that, “the road was the only link that connect all the kingdoms of Olomu, Ewu, Okparabe, Arhavwarien in Ughelli South and the Ngbilebiri Mein kingdoms in Burutu local government areas to the East-West road.
 
The abandoned road project according to the letter did not only affected the socio-economic lives of the people but also posed security threat to people of the area as unsuspecting passersby were walleyed and dispossessed of their valuables by hoodlums due to the nature of the road.
 
In their prayers, they stated, “We are using this medium to appeal to NDDC to revisit the contract quickly for the construction of the Oviri-Olomu Ewu Road project after 18years of abandonment.
 
“This Save Our Souls SOS message has become imperative owing to the long period of abandonment and neglect, the menace currently suffered by the people, the importance of the project to the people of the affected communities and their contribution to the economic development of the nation by ways of oil and gas deposit.
 
“As law abiding citizens of this country, we are anxiously waiting on the NDDC to, as a matter of urgent importance to revoke and to re-award the construction of the Oviri-Olomu Ewu Road project to a more competent civil engineering contractor as soon as possible,” the statement added.