By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba
Coming at the heels of an earlier protest by some people at Ikpide-Irri in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta state to condemn the road construction in the community, the indigenes of the community last Sunday came out en-mass in a solidarity march along sections of the new road which is still under construction and expressed their gratitude to the governor over the project.
The indigenes, beeming with joy and displaying placards with various inscriptions to convey their satisfactions with the quality of job done on the road, also commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Contractor handling the project, Chief Emmanuel Emoefe.
Addressing journalists, the President General of the community, Engr. Orose Edemo said, that the community was satisfied with the ongoing project.
He said, “as far as the Ikpide indigenes are concerned, we have no problem with the road that is being constructed, the project is ongoing and we have been enjoying the services of the road for that past two years.
“All the sections of the road project that have been completed are motorable, we have trailers coming here, and we have tankers driving in and out of the community. There have been no problem. Since you came, you have been going around, have you seen any problem with the road? So, we are very satisfied with the work that is going on.”
He noted that Ikpide people are happy with the road that is being constructed, adding that Ikpide has nothing to do with anybody that claims the road is not good. He said such claims should be discarded as they are false.
“Any claim that the road is substandard is in the imagination of those that are making such claims and in the newspapers, it is not the reality on the ground which you have seen for yourself.
“We want to thank His Excellency for this kind gesture, Ikpide is a small community and we are so surprised that he has chosen to fish us out, we are happy. His smart agenda is a testimony to behold and we pray that God should bless him. We equally use this medium to ask His Excellency for more largesse.”
Speaking in the same vein, Hon. Pius Utolo, a notable Chief and ex-President General of the community, said, “It is only God that gave us this road and we should appreciate the governor and those that met the governor to make him approve the road for us.
“We don’t have oil, we don’t have any means of generating revenue to the state yet he considered us and gave us this road, so we are very happy and pray that God will bless them abundantly.”
Also, the site Engineer of Portplus Limited, the company handling the road, Surveyor Ike Chidindu, said the company has maintained the standard in the BOQ it signed with the State Government.
In his words, “the major challenge we are having is that it is like there are internal crises, whether political or communal, I don’t know, but the crisis is taking its toll on this job, giving us series of problems. Sometimes they will bring people and harass us saying what we are doing is not the right thing and all of that.
“We have been following the standard that government gave, yet they still come to harass us. The government officials have visited severally to certify that we have kept to the BOQ, but I don’t know what these people want.”