SAHARA REPORTERS

Emevor youths in the Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State have protested against what they called a “substandard, uncompleted” road in the community commissioned by the Managing Director, (MD) of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), Askia Ogieh.

SaharaReporters was told that the road project which was commissioned on Wednesday, by the commission’s MD is a four-kilometre road but only two kilometres were done with substandard materials and hurriedly commissioned.

The project which has continued to generate series of condemnation among the indigenes of the community, especially the youths, was described as one of the worst and poorly executed roads in the area.
They said the road is also without a drainage system to control flood during raining season.

Condemning the project, one of the leaders in the community who pleaded for anonymity, described as unfortunate the way some persons in the community had used their son and member representing Isoko ethnic nationality in the commission, Paul Owhe, to sing praises of the DESOPADEC MD who allegedly did not mean well for the community.

“Paul Owhe is a disgrace and monumental failure. What has Emevor gained since he ventured into politics? He’s a son of Emevor and the member representing Isoko nation in DESOPADEC. A four-kilometre road brought to your community could not be completed, only two kilometres were done with substandard materials and you allowed the MD to commission the substandard and uncompleted two kilometres in your community and you are happy?
“The DESOPADEC MD is known for execution of substandard projects in the oil producing communities in the state.

For road projects, he doesn’t do drainages and is good at awarding contracts to cronies.”
Also speaking with SaharaReporters on behalf of the community youths, the Secretary-General of Emevor community youths, John Odhe, lamented the poor execution of the uncompleted road and its commissioning.

“We the youths of Emevor kingdom are not satisfied with the job done; aside that they didn’t construct the Ogbike road, it was placed on commissioning signpost that they had constructed both Urueyo and Ogbike roads meanwhile, it was only Urueyo that was constructed even below standard. They imported outsiders to come and commission a road in Emevor community without informing Emevor people, until we the youths picked up the issue.

“The Emevor bypass was a four kilometers road out of which only two kilometers was constructed and below standard and we the youths are not happy with such. Our position as youths is that we want to see the hardcopy of the original document of the road as duly signed by the commission. The next stage of our agitation is no Emevor-Orogun road no campaigns, no elections in our community.”

Meanwhile, the people of Ofagbe community, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State also scolded the DESOPADEC Managing Director, Askia Ogieh for enlisting the community’s market which had not been renovated as one of his achievements in a scorecard he released recently.

Askia had enlisted Ofagbe community market as an ongoing project in his recently released list of achievements as the DESOPADEC MD, but there were no signs to show such claims.
Attachments area