FERMA Gives Contractor Seven Day Ultimatum

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), has given the contractor handling the Owena-Akure-Owo Road seven days ultimatum to fix the road or have the contract terminated.

Mr Osita Ezedozie, the Executive Director, Road Management Services in the agency, gave the ultimatum on Thursday at Owena, while inspecting the road to ascertain the progress of work  done.

Reports have it that the road had been cut off completely due to a gully resulting from the rains, thereby rendering it almost impassable except.

The development is causing heavy traffic on the road as some trucks get stuck and have to be towed, while cars and other small vehicles meander through the local community pathways.

As at the time Ezedozie, and his monitoring team visited the road, the contractor, Messrs Mangrovetech Nig.  was not on site.

The contractor has only patched a few potholes on the stretch of the road which cuts across Osun and Ondo states.

Ezedozie, who expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work on the road, added that the contractor had collected advance payment and had no reason not to perform.

“The contractor was given advance payment, so he has no reason not to perform. He is also going to be given a letter of warning over the slow pace of work.

“And if he fails to perform, his contract will be terminated.

We want to know those contractors that are serious and those that are not serious,” he said.

The Spokesman of the construction company, Mr Ikogi Godspower, said that they were not on site because they could not get asphalt from their suppliers.

“Actually, today we are not on site because of our inability to get asphalt from our plant and we encountered similar situation at the beginning of the road, but we arrested the situation.

“But I do believe that by 6 p.m today (Thursday), we shall arrest the situation,” Godspower said.

However, when our source visited the site at 7 p.m. there was no sign of the contractor at the failed portion of the road except for five trucks that got stuck, thereby creating a chaotic situation.

The contract was awarded in March at the cost of N840.5 million and was expected to be completed in three months.

The scope of work include site clearing, construction of culverts and lined drains, patching of potholes, first coat surface dressing and provision of asphalted concrete dressing course.