Nigerian engineers knock Okorocha over shoddy contracts, confirm Ripples Nigeria findings

Nigerian engineers under the auspices of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) on Thursday came hard on the Okorocha administration blaming it for defective roads and bridges currently under construction in the state capital, Owerri.

COREN’s position confirmed a Ripples Nigeria investigative report published on November 29, 2016.

In a three-part serial titled, “Investigations…Facts, lies and how Okorocha allegedly corners state resources for self, family,” the platform had reported, with on-the-spot pictures, that most of the on-going construction works in the state were sub-standard, and had been contracted to suspicious individuals and companies.

Buttressing the report, COREN’s President and Chairman of council, Mr. Kashim Ali said, “We got a disturbing report from Imo State on a bridge on Amawire, Okigwe Road and Akwakuma flyover. Our Engineering regulatory monitoring team noticed defects; they requested from the government the details of the consultants and contractors involved especially the engineers so we can know what went wrong.”

He added, “The state government has not given us that information; we have written to the governor for them to give us the details urgently; to know the engineers involved to prevent what will cost lives. If they don’t do that, we have no option but to report the matter under our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) conditions to ICPC and they would find whoever it is and get information they need.”

Critics of the Imo State governor have often described his infrastructure development initiatives as “Chinese roads and bridges” in clear reference to the poor quality of work executed.

The November 2016 report by Ripples Nigeria noted that most of these celebrated roads collapsed as soon as work on them were completed. Ready example is Okigwe Road flyover in the Orji area of Owerri Capital Territory. The project was awarded to RG Holding Nigeria limited. As stated on the firm’s website, work on the flyover commenced on September 2015 and was meant to be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 6, 2016.

While a visit to the flyover showed that work on it was completed, it showed clear signs of distress with several cracks on it even when no vehicle had plied on it.

The report also pointed to the newly-completed Ikemba Ojukwu tunnel along Port Harcourt Road which failed few months after it was completed. Findings showed that the said tunnel is turned into a large pond the moment it rains.

Of the contractors handling most construction works in the state, Ripples Nigeria discovered three major firms which are: RG Holding Nigeria limited, RHAS Nigeria limited and Irish Green Global Concept. Efforts made to get information about the firms from their work sites in the state proved abortive, but a visit to their websites showed that the three firms are all Nigeria-based construction firms.

RG Holding, apart from a residential building allegedly constructed in a certain undefined location in Ireland, every other known work displayed on the website, both completed and ongoing was in Imo State and awarded by the Okorocha administration.

RHAS Nigeria limited, also based in Owerri, has on its website an office location at Teachers House, Port Harcourt road, Owerri. Sources say they were relatively more active under the administration of former governor Ikedi Ohakim but add that they now remain a shadow of their old self, and have become a willing tool for petty contractors in the Government House.

The case of Irish Green Global Concept is entirely different as its website at the time of the 2016 report was non-functional and little is known of its pedigree.

Faulting criticisms on quality of contracts executed in the state, Eng. Obinna Nshirim, Imo State Commissioner for Information and a Civil Engineer, said it was better to construct low standard roads than not to construct at all.

He argued, “Someone may say I’ll construct two roads at N500 million per kilometre and with N1 billion I’ll get two kilometres. Another person will say no, we are so backward; we need roads to be decongested, we can then maintain as time goes on, so, with this N1billion let me construct 100 kilometres of roads. They are all beautiful and political decisions as long as nobody cheated another.

“So, Instead of building one standard road that will be used for eight years, give us numerous roads with that same money and let us be maintaining it. However, if the resources are there, it is better to do standard roads.”

Okorocha, however, appears not perturbed and has continued with what he terms urban renewal projects across the state. One such project has pitted him against an indigene of the state, and former Minister of Internal Affairs, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho.

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