By Shina Badmus
Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governor of Delta State, has accused the former governors of the state, Chief James Ibori and Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, for the abandonment of the Trans Warri Ode Itsekiri Road and Bridges in Warri South of Delta State.
Okowa said the abandonment was as a result of the government owing the contractors, Setraco Nigeria Limited, who where incharge of the project, the sum of N8.8 billion.
He made the disclosure during the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, rally at the Warri township stadium.
According to him, the project was brought to a halt by the contractor due to the failure of the previous administrations to pay the debt, affirming that his administration has paid the sum of N3.5 billion out of the sum owed, noting that work will soon commence at the site.
The Trans Warri-Ode-Itsekiri road project which was awarded to Setraco Nigeria Limited in 2006, by former Governor James Ibori and continued by the immediate past governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, connects several communities in Warri South and other local government areas, has 19 bridges with 10 already completed.
Adding that the sum of N16 billion had been paid by the previous administrations of Chief Ibori and Dr Uduaghan.
According to Okowa, “In 2015 when we were campaignimg I promise the people of Warri South that we are going to do the Ubeji road. We also told them we are going to complete the Trans Warri-Ode Itsekiri road project.
“That project was abandoned by the contractor because the previous administration was owing them N8.8 billion. But today we have paid the sum of N3.5 billion to the contractor and work will commence very soon.”
Okowa thanked the people of Warri South Council Area for their support so far, urging them to vote for him again so as to consolidate on his achievements, assuring them that his administration has commissioned consultants to look at how the issue of flooding in the area could be resolved, stressing that before he completes his second term, the issue of flooding in Warri will be a thing of the past.
“We have commissioned contractors to build big drainages that will solve the issue of drainage in Warri. Preliminary work has been done and all the flood places have been identified.
“Before the end of my second tenure I will finish all the projects I have embarked on. I don’t want to embark on projects I cannot finish. This is the reason why I hardly talk. When I talk I make sure that I do what I said.
“I want to plead with you to vote all PDP candidates from the national to state level. This will make my election to be easy because God is with us,” Okowa said.
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