Weeks after the celebrated flag off of the construction of the Naze/ Nekede/ Obinze Road by Imo State Gov,Sen. Hope Uzodinma, residents of the communities have expressed doubts about the capacity of the contractor handling the road to complete the road before full blown rain falls.
The worried individuals who bared their minds in exclusive chats with our correspondent explained that their worries stemmed from the unfolding poor quality of work done from Maternity Junction to Federal Polytechnic Main gate Junction and seeming stoppage of work immediately after the Poly Main gate Junction.
A legal practitioner who resides around the Nekede/ Ihiagwa Police Division, area told our correspondent that there is absolutely no sign whatsoever that the ongoing construction will go beyond the Poly Junction.
According to him, he is forced to come to this conclusion because apart from lowering the thickness of the asphalt below 3cm and narrowing down the width of the road from Maternity Bus stop to Poly Junction, no single construction operation including soil excavation which is the first step in road construction is taking place beyond the Junction.
It was the same fears expressed by an indigene of Ihiagwa who spoke under anonymity.
Corroborating the position of the lawyer, he stated that people of his community are not only in serious doubt about the contractors capacity and commitment but also doubtful of government’s sincerity to comprehensively execute the project.
He added that the reason they are looking beyond the contractor is because he is only a labourer hired by government and as such can only work when paid and the amount paid him.
Noting that the communities which the road traversed are appreciative of what has been done so far, he appealed to the government to adequately fund the project to enable the contractor to continue working.
He made it clear that if government foot drags and the imminent rains meet the road as it is now ,from Poly Junction down to Ihiagwa, people living along that area should forget seeing Owerri for the next six months.
But, responding to the fears raised by residents Barr Ralph Nwosu, Imo State Commissioner for Works, said government deserves commendation for already delivering four to five kilometres of the road within one month.
While noting that road construction is not a one day business, the commissioner added that instead of complaining government should be commended over work so far done on the road.