Following the abandonment of the Avu-Obosima-Umunwaku-Adapalm-Etekwuru road by the construction company handling the road,ROUDO Nigeria Limited, the Youth of Avu in Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Areas have threatened to shotdown the State with what they described as grandfather protests if the construction company failed to resume work at the site within the next seven (7) days.
This was disclosed on Wednesday during a press conference organized by joint youths of Avu-Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema, held at Concord hotel in Owerri where they revealed that Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) mobilized ROUDO Nigeria Limited to the tune of two billion Naira(2,000,000,000.00) for the Avu-Obosima-Umunwaku-Adapalm-Etekwuru ten kilometers road project but no meaningful service has been done at the site they described as a deathtrap to their people.
According to the Press Statement jointly signed by Comr. Nicholas Tochukwu who is the National President of National Congress of Ohaji Youth(NACOY), Hon. Pascal Okoro who is Avu Autonomous Community Youth President, Onyemuche Bright of Egbema and Omah Sunday Ugochukwu who is the Secretary General of United Egbema Youth Association, it reads”you recall that sometime in October 2023, NDDC made announcement that it has mobilized contractor handling the Avu/Obosima/Umunwaku/Adapalm/Etekwuru road, ROUDO Nigeria Limited to the tune of Two Billion Naira to do ten kilometers of the project”.
“Immediately after the announcement, several delegations of our people were led to the Chairman/Managing Director of the company, Chief Tony Chukwu, and he promised to expedite action on the road before the arrival of the rainy season. It’s over 4 months and nothing meaningful has been done on the project, and the rains are almost here”.
“While this press briefing is a notification to the world, it’s equally a fore-note that we’re not asleep. We are aware about the huge amount of money sink into this project by the State government and NDDC yet nothing to show for it. We therefore in the interest of peace make bold and demand that ROUDO Construction Company should as a matter of urgency resume work impactfully on the road between now and the next seven days”.
“Their resumption must be seen to be serious with all equipments on site and at work. The Governor of Imo State,Dist. Senator Hope Uzodimma should direct the Managing Director of ROUDO Construction Company to immediately mobilize to site with a view to completing the road before the rains set in. If ROUDO Construction Company is not capable to handle the job in all sincerity, let the Governor and NDDC get a better contractor to deliver the job and on time….ROUDO Construction Company Limited and its Management should see this Press briefing as an olive branch in the air which may not last for long.”
“If ROUDO Construction Company Limited does not return to site between now and next 7 days, this State is going to witness what will be known as the Grandfather of all protests. If this matter is allowed to snowball into that, nobody should blame the good people of Ohaji/Egbema and Owerri West for any negative consequence from it. This is the road that leads to the biggest and largest Gas plant in the West Africa. This road leads to Adapalm which is the largest palm plantation in the South Eastern Nigeria, this road links Owerri West and Ohaji/Egbema LGAs: this road deserves a befitting outlook in all fairness.”
“We chose to address this Press Conference over a protest because we think it will be too early to lead a protest considering that our Governor has just been sworn in for second term in office, and as such, people may misconstrue the protest to be against the Governor, not knowing that it’s against the ROUDO Construction Company and its Managing Director who has treated our people with such a disdain.”The Press statement read.
DESTINY Isinwa reports from Owerri.
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