Governor Otti and Works Commissioner Clash Over Ohafia-Arochukwu Road Length, Raising Need for a Thorough Investigation | #NwokeukwuMascot

 Opinion 

The Flag off of Ohafia / Arochukwu road has come and gone; My concerns by Mr Okpala Orji | #NwokeukwuMascot

File Image

As predicated, my concerns that brought about those exchanges just played out today at the flag off ceremony of the Ohafia-Arochukwu Expressway. 

Gradually, this administration has become so predictable that you can hazard what they are scheming to achieve given their antecedents which is laced with deceit and Propaganda. 

I was not surprised that two national television ChannelsTV and Arise TV were engaged for flag off of what should be  completion of 12Km road which was started since 2012 but turned to be 41.1km by the Governor and 44km by the Commissioner for works .

You may ask what is my interest, beyond being an Abian, I am a member of APC whose government awarded the second contract in 2017/18 budget year to Heartland Ltd with contract number CN 6481, which the Government refused to disclose the details which  contains the longest stretch of that Ohafia / Arochukwu road. This is exactly where the  conflict of kilometres emanated in the contract. 

I took time off my busy schedule to watch the 2 hours programme which should cost the State nothing less than N35m , this amount is huge enough to pay two months arrears owed Arochukwu Collage of Education Techincal by last administration which was a campaign issue but has been ignored till date .

I don't want those e- rats to misconstrue my intervention as if am not excited about the completion of that important road.  Am sure we are not happy anytime stories are told about how we access Aro Chukwu from Akwa Ibom due to bad road even when one is travelling from Umuahia. 

We want the road completed and on time, but credit must be given to those that initiated this project before now and due Process followed to avoid issues with Federal government when completed  

The government deliberately avoided letting the public know that this job has been ongoing and was handled by a grade A rated contractor Heartland a subsidiary of SECTRACO construction that had done over 15km of the road as awarded in 2017/18 budget year with contract number CN 6481; known as section 1. Whereas the second component is section (2) with contract number CN 6481A. Beks-Kinse Construction Ltd (Now know as  DI Ltd)

In summary, between 2012 and June 2023 which accounts for the 27klm stretch. 7klm has been fully delivered out of the 10klm by messers Beks-kinse (Now DI Ltd with CN 6158) in line with the section awarded as stated above, leaving  about 1klm at stonebase and earthwork level only. While the about 17km awarded to Heartland Ltd has achieved about 15klms cumulative of binders course and drainage leaving about 3klms on earthwork and stonebase level. 

Now It is curious where Gov  Oti is importing the 41klm in conflict with his Commissioner for works saying 44klm in same breath on same flag off .It is suspicious why the government deliberately suppressed the longer stretch that has gulped almost N3billion blindsiding both the Federal Government ,the facilitator, (the immediate past representative of Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency and Messers Hartland the subsisting contractor but mentioned the shorter section in his opening remarks today, without mentioning details only to add subtle blackmail his usual reward to describe activities before his coming to office rightly or wrongly which constitutes a debasement of public office .

 All the contracts are still active yet, the Government chose to blind Abians of vital aspects of the job just like the government wanted to suppress the $3.8m Abia State  equity investment in Geometric Power. 

There was no staff of Federal Ministry of works to witness the official handover as it is customary for such occasions. 

Available information from the owners of the job, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, is that they are not aware of today's flag-off event as Abia State Government is deficient in responding to federal ministry of works and Housing conditions precedent before hand over which will ensure seamless handover of the funding of the remaining cumulative stretch of about 16klms.

The distance between Ohafia (old Soldier) to ASCETA Junction where the FG contract terminates is about 27klm. The Government should be explicit enough to tell us  that other local roads in Aro Chukwu were added that gave rise to either 41klm or 44klm as stated during the flag.

We were not surprised that the figure(Contract amount)of the contract was not made public in that 4 page address as it has been the style of the state government. Unfortunately, this is federal government road being taken over by the state , the figures of the remaining parts of the contracts by the two FG contractors on that road must be explicitly stated and agreed before any contract is consummated. This is to avoid issues with Federal Government. 

That could explain why nobody from the Federal ministry of Works and Housing was present and no contract handover was done that day. Could the government provide counter evidence to prove it followed standard contract handover protocols?

According to paragraph 9 of the Governor's speech at the flag-offceremony, - emphasis mine- is in conflict with paragraph 8 of his speech; reason being that the communication the Abia state government is still suppressing from Federal Government contain vital information which gave Abia State government two clear options to choose on the project execution and reimbursement process to adopt .

1.) The Highway Development Management initiative (HDMI) option of funding. i) With a strict condition of public disclosure of the amount agreed with FG, the tenure of the toll period to recover funds spent on the road before collection reverts to FG ,which is consistent with Bureau of public procurement act . This clause is necessary to avoid exploitation of use road users by funders of the project, the state government. 

iii) Federal Ministry of Works and Housing shall continue with the supervision of the remaining part of the project to ensure quality consistent with the project design, while Abia government provides funding and contractors. This is the detail of paragraph 9 of the speech that Abia state govt hid and blackmailed the Federal government.

2) The second option; Abia state government executes the project with Abia funds as highlighted in paragraph 8 where refund is discretionary like it is practiced nationwide. Abia State is then, expected to use their contacts to get FG to refund.

Records have consistently shown that most states that intervene in Federal government projects to ameliorate the sufferings of their people have never been abandoned as FG always refund whatever that was spent insofar the execution followed FG's laid down due process.

In Enugu, Gov Sullivan Chime through Arab Contractors dualized the "82 division junction to Emene fly over which included two bridges and Federal Government reimbursed about N20b during the immediate past administration of Gov Ugwuanyi. Imo state was also not left out but documentation with Federal Ministry of Works is key to such claims.  I can remember how we worked hard to convince FG over few interventions by Abia state  which was ignored because there were  no valid documents to support such claims.

As at today, we are not aware of the funding options the state has adopted as the state is yet to sign off necessary documents which may account for why the Federal government Minstry of works officials distanced themselves from that flag off .

While we appreciate the personal and informal relationships that exist between Abia state Governor and the Minister of Work Sen ,Dave Umahia, conscious efforts must be made to streamline the process of this takeover to avoid issues that arises especially when these officials are out of office .

The Abia state Government should also avoid optics that show as if there are things that are being hiding in their  activities especially the procurement process.

Abia did not start in 2023, The defunct PTF , successive state and Federal governments have all tried their efforts and  should have been mentioned.  While Congratulating the government for completion of the remaining part of the road , we demand more clarification especially with the discordant tunes of the Governor and Commissioner of works on actual stretch of kilometres which naturally should not have arisen on  national Television. I have always come in Peace.

———