The Imo State Government has stopped all rural roads contracts going
on in the State and has resolved to use direct labour to complete the
rehabilitation and supervision of the said roads.
This decision by the government is as a result of the attitude of
most of the contractors handling the rural road projects in the State who after
receiving over 80% of their contract sum, abandoned the jobs.
The Governor who bared his mind while interacting with members of
his Executive Council, TC Chairmen, Traditional Rulers and Ministerial Heads at
the new Banquet Hall, Government House, Owerri, yesterday, said “it is criminal
to collect money for contract and abandon the work”
He said he was shocked at his findings during his tour of Local
Government Areas where only very few contractors did good jobs on the roads and
completed their work as agreed while the rest either did a skeletal work or
totally left the roads undone.
The Governor said he has resolved to take over the rehabilitation
and supervision of the rural roads while every Committee previously in-charge
remains dissolved. Said he, “I don’t want to leave any of my projects
uncompleted before December this year. No more awards of contracts. We
shall now do the roads through direct labour in order to get the works done so
that new roads can be embarked upon; I am in a hurry to make all roads in the
State motorable.”
Speaking further at the occasion, Governor Okorocha called on the citizens
of the State to work in synergy with government to discourage and discipline
people of dubious character who squander public funds meant for developmental
projects while the poor masses who need such projects suffer. “If we
don’t fix Imo State now, it will be difficult to do so later; we must make sacrifices
aimed at improving the lives of our people and the State” He said.
He also revealed his plans to employ over 25,000 youths as
teachers through the Community Government Council so as to keep them
responsible, noting that ‘an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’
Also present at the occasion is the Speaker of Imo House of
Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajimogu; the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional
Rulers, HRH Samuel Ohiri and a host of
others
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