Imo Stops Award Of Contracts For Rural Roads

Imo State Government
says it will no longer engage the services of contractors to  construct rural roads but make use of direct labour.
Governor Rochas Okorocha made this known while interacting with members of his executive council, transition committee chairmen, traditional rulers and ministry heads at the Government House, Owerri.
The governor said the decision was based on the attitude of some contractors handling rural road projects, who he claimed, had received over 80 per cent of their contract sum and yet abandoned their jobs.
“It is criminal to collect money for contracts and abandon the work, therefore, the completion of rural roads will be by direct labour.
“My tour of the local government areas was an eye opener where only very few contractors did good jobs on the roads and completed their work as agreed.
“The rest either did a skeletal work or totally left the roads undone.”
The governor said that he would take over the rehabilitation and supervision of rural roads, while the committees that were previously in-charge were dissolved.
”I am in a hurry to make all roads in this state motorable, so I don’t want to leave any of my projects uncompleted before December this year.
“ No more award of contracts; we shall now do the roads through direct labour to get the works done, so that new roads can be embarked upon,’’ the governor said.
Okorocha called on well meaning citizens of the state to work in synergy with his government to discourage and discipline people of dubious character.
The governor directed all the transition committee chairmen and traditional rulers to discuss ways to visit all communities to know the extent of works on the roads and map out new roads to be rehabilitated.
He said that he would employ over 25,000 youths as teachers through the Community Government Council so as make them  more responsible.
Okorocha directed all the transition committee chairmen to give their local government headquarters a new look by renovating the old buildings as well as build council halls.