Four days after youths of the community took to the streets to protest the poor quality and slow pace of work on the Eket-Ibeno road, the management of the construction firm has explained the situation. .

Mr Alimi Oyewole, Project Manager, Fountain Construction Company (FCC), listed the non-appointment of a consultant to pay compensation to property owners affected by the dualisation of the road as one of the reasons.

He said another reason for the slow pace of work were heavy rainfall, which made it difficult for the firm’s workers to work, as well as the re-design of the road from a single lane to a dual carriage way.

Oyewole gave this explanation last Friday in Eket, when our correspondent visited the project site to know why the job had made slow progress.

He said that by the terms of the original contract, his company was expected to only repair and expand the 18km road.

“But when the community demanded for a dual carriage way, the Niger Delta Development Commission yielded to their demands and changed the project to a dual carriage way, and the new design of the road was handed over to FCC in April”.

“The concern and commitment we have for our client and the community immediately spurred us to assume construction work through clearing and excavation and we are making progress, but rainfall is an obstacle to us,” he said.

Oyewole, however, dismissed claims by the community that the company was carrying out substandard work and lacked expertise.

“Everything we do here is according to specification as contained in the bill of quantities approved by the commission and the project consultant.”

“You can see our stock of over 15 new trucks, an asphalt plant and other sundry construction equipment in addition to qualified engineers as site supervisors amongst others.”

“I think the community did not understand us before now.”

“We have met and discussed with them and they have reasoned with us; that is why they removed the traditional injunctions they placed on our gates and we have resumed work in earnest,” he said.

It was learnt that officials of the construction company at the project site office, ran away when protesting youths from the community visited the premises and, have returned to their duty post.

The Project Manager said that since the commencement of work few months ago, work on two major bridges along the road had been executed up to 60 per cent ,while work on the third was progressing.

He said the company was carrying out maintenance work on the existing single lane to make it motorable, while work was progressing on the new lane.