Women in Umudibia Nekede Autonomous community, Owerri West Council Area of Imo State, have threatened to protest naked if the government fails to repair the dilapidated Nekede-Ihiagwa roads, which have become a nightmare to residents of the community.
The women said the road which leads to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) and Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri including a police college has become a source of psind for parents, students, and motorists as “it is now impassable.”
According to a woman leader in the community, Mrs. Ifeanyiwa Martin, the road has turned to a death trap as people constantly fall into the gutters covered by the mud each time it rains.
“It is also difficult for us to drive through the muddy water or take our children to school. No vehicle or human being that passes the road without sinking,” she told the Nation.
However, Governor Hope Uzodimma has directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to commence a process of recovering the mobilization fee given to the contractor handling the road.
Rising from the weekly Executive Council (EXCO) meeting the governor directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to press on the bank that guaranteed mobilization fee to the contractor handling the Nekede/Ihiagwa road to refund the money without delay.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba, told newsmen that as soon as the rain is over, the government will re-award the contract for the construction of the road to a competent firm.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Chuck Chuckemeka, said the contract for the Nekede/Ihiagwa road was not an initiative of the current government, but that of the previous government.
He said now that the contractor has failed the people after collecting mobilization fee of N1.4billion, the government has directed that the mobilization fee be refunded to enable it re-award the contract to a more competent and responsible contractor.
Emelumba also disclosed that the government has banned the collection of levies in schools in the State.
He warned that any school head (Principal or Head Master) discovered to indulge in such activities will be summarily dealt with.
Also, the Commissioner announced that the Executive Council approved the setting up a committee headed by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Barr. Francis Dibiagwu, to collect relevant data on private primary and secondary schools in the State, for the purpose of having reliable data bank for planning.