By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The contractor handling the Olomi-Ijebu Road, which links Oyo State to Ogun State, DC Engineering Nigeria Limited, has been lambasted for allegedly carrying out an unimpressive job.
During a tour of the road on Sunday by officials of the federal government and the House of Representatives member from Oluyole Federal Constituency, Mrs Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, it was stated that the 25 km Olomi-Ijebu Igbo Road was in deplorable conditions.
Mrs Akande-Sadipe, while speaking during the tour, submitted if the road is properly rehabilitated, it would stimulate economic activities, attract local and foreign investment, improve the quality of the road network and reduce the hardship on her constituents.
The lawmaker, who lamented the untold hardship commuters along the 25 km Olomi-Ijebu Igbo Road face on account of its present deplorable condition, also expressed displeasure at the present state of Liberty-Academy Road within her constituency.
She urged the Federal Ministry of Works to prevail on the construction company on the Olomi Road project to perform its obligation on the road in the interest of the people of the state.
“We have gone round and you have seen the Olomi road. It is deplorable and completely unacceptable. The design is flawed, it has been more of a death trap and has led to several deaths and Loss of property.
“How can a bridge on this kind of expanse of the road not be a dual carriageway,” she queried
“I appreciate the fact that the Ministry under the leadership of Mr Raji Fashola honoured our request for succour for Oluyole, as our road between Olomi and Ijebu Ode is extremely bad. The contractor, DC Engineering Limited has done a very poor job and has been too slow after so many years, with many portions of the road un-motorable,” she said.
“The officers of the Ministry should please ensure that the funds allocated are well spent and a satisfactory job delivered,” she added.
Mrs Akande-Sadipe, who chairs the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, noted that roads awarded in the state about three years ago when the Olomi-Ijebu road was awarded, have been completed, adding that within two years, the tarred parts of the road had developed problems, pointing to the poor quality of work.
On his part, the Commissioner, Public Complaint Commission, South-West, Mr Folawiyo, who joined the inspection, assured that the agency will ensure that the issues are dealt with and the contractor called to order.
He explained that the institution has jurisdiction to oversee federal government, state government and local governments projects and would do the needful with regard to this road. The Commissioner added that the agency is set to intervene in the delayed completion.
He asked the community to copy him in all complaints, adding that the commission will urgently assess such complaints, including those where the contractor solicited and received money from the communities in carrying out responsibilities on the project.
In his remarks, the Comptroller, Ogun State, Mr Umar Bakare, said the Ministry has taken it upon itself to technically inspect the road which he noted was in a very bad state. He promised speedy delivery of the mandates, saddled upon the Ministry in record time.
Thus, the inspection of the road, under the directive of the Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Min. Raji Fashola will yield progress.
According to him, the Ministry will monitor the construction of the road and bridges, to ease the movement of traffic.
While thanking Mrs Akande-Sadipe for her interventions, he pointed at the lack of a proper drainage system and link roads to communities.
Meanwhile, community members also decried the substandard job executed by DC Engineering Limited, the Contractor on the site. They mentioned that the contractor skipped the Olomi market portion of the road, and abandoned the maintenance and upgrade at the Fatusi bridge end of the road.
On the other road inspected, the Liberty Academy Road, in her remarks, the South-West Zonal Coordinator, FERMA, Mrs Mary Adeniran, explained that as part of its duties, the agency will see to the maintenance of federal roads within Oluyole Federal Constituency.
She promised to follow up with a critical inspection of the road up to the Ogun State border towards further rehabilitation of the road.
The Baale of Olomi, Mr Samuel Oyewale, showered encomiums on the lawmaker for the constant infrastructural commitments to the constituency, including the provision of transformers.
Amongst issues raised was the statement made by the contractor that a former member of the House of Representatives had collected money paid on the project from him. The community members clarified that the Contractor had made this statement in the year 2018.
Adedapo Adesanya