OLU OF WARRI CALLS ON BUHARI TO COMPLETE ABANDONED FG PROJECTS IN IWERE (ITSEKIRI) LAND IN DELTA

OKIES OKPOMOR

HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli 1, Olu of Warri has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency spring into action to complete the various abandoned Federal Government projects in Itsekiri Communities of Delta State.

The Olu who led an array of his high chiefs on an inspection tour of the various abandoned Federal Government projects in Koko, headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area, lamented that the negative trend had adversely affected the socio-economic development of the communities as well as retarded overall development of Iwere (Itsekiri) nation.

Top on the list of the Federal Government abandoned projects inspected by the foremost monarch were the Koko-Ogheye-Epe, Lagos dual carriageway, the Sea Shoreline Protection project in the coastal community, the moribund Koko Port as well as the abandoned Koko Stadium.

The Olu of Warri specifically raised an alarm over the abandonment of the Koko-Ogheye-Epe, Lagos dual carriageway project, saying “which would have made road travelling easier for people in the coastal communities”.

The monarch recalled that the road which was conceptualised in 1955 by late Chief Festus Okotie Eboh, former Minister of Finance and others was meant to shorten the duration of travelling by road between the Itsekiri community (Koko) and Epe in Lagos State to about one hour, if well executed and completed on schedule.

According to HRM Ikenwoli 1, “from all we have been able to gather, the road contract project which was awarded about ten years ago had been abandoned due to non-payment to the contractors. I am hereby appealing to Mr.President to dust up the contract papers at this road in view of its strategic nature to our Ijaw neighbours and oil-producing conglomerates, and fund the contractors to enable them to return to site with a view to complete it to boost the socio-economic development of not only my people but our Ijaw neighbours and Delta State at large.”

Mr. Elie Tannous, Managing Director, Levant Construction Limited, the company handling the road project had earlier said that their major challenge of non-payment by the Federal Government had caused delay in going ahead with the project.

Speaking at the site of the abandoned Sea Shoreline Protection Project, the Olu of Warri called the Federal Government not to continue to handle the issue with levity to avert imminent flooding in the coastal communities and save the entire area from bring washed away by the ravaging sea water.

The traditional ruler then called on the Federal Government to act fast within it powers to do the needful by compeling the contractors handling the shoreline project, SMIEC Nigeria Limited, to return to site and save the communities of the looming danger.

He also enjoined Government to rehabilitate the once booming Koko Port to reinvigorate the economic activities in the host communities.

In an interview, Prince Yemi Emiko called on the federal government to do the needful by completing all the abandoned projects with a view to bringing more democracy dividends neater to the people, he specifically called on the company handling the Sea Shoreline Protection Project that is allegedly linked to a serving governor in the South Eastern part of the country to live up to its billing.