- By Sanchez Brown
Sir Ako Obioma, Yes! It is acceptable in your own words to say ‘you are a case study’ indeed you are! to have waited this long for a song to stir you up, at this time to cry crocodile tears laced with hubris lies when actually you are the provocateur and architect of misplaced priorities;
looking for who to blame when your brother drew you close to be part of those that brings the shinning light to his government, nay you were one of the unseen hands of inept performance in the development of the State; thanks for telling the Abia public.
I wish I had time to dissect your porous, vague and meritless accusations against His Excellency Distinguished Senator Theodore Ahamefula Orji and His Dear Son, Rt Hon Engr Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, mnse, instead of dissipating such energy, allow me to refresh your memory Sir Ako Obioma.
You can vividly recall that one of the illustrious son of Umuopara by name Okpemandu Cyphus CyMartins drew your attention and that of the general public sometime last year on the Umuopara Ring Road, a road at the heart of the good people of Umuopara that the Government of T. A Orji awarded to you sir.
Let’s hear what Mr. Okpemandu said concerning your performance “The question of contractual responsiveness and accountability from contractors in Abia State is a very big question which is generating commentaries targeted at the state’s administration from analysts.
But this write-up is not holistically inspired to inquire into that subject on a broad base. Instead, it wishes to concentrate on the frustration and disillusionment, the people of Umuopara in Umuahia South L.G.A. of Abia State are witnessing, on the construction contract of Umuopara Ring Road awarded to one of her sons, Chief Ako Obioma from Amachara, Ezeleke Umuopara in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.
During the administration of the past governor of Abia State, Chief T.A. Orji, who is now a senator, I wrote an article, …published in the Sun Newspaper. In this said publication, I criticized this same contractor over the ineptitude, nonchalance and irresponsiveness he was exhibiting on this same road contract when it was first awarded to him by the administration of T.A.Orji.
As an architect and a construction contractor, I identified some lapses and mis-engineerings in his approach to the contract. Being a son of Ehume Umuopara, who is specially attached to my community in terms of love and desire for her development, I was vexed in my spirit and I was quickly prompted to pen an article titled, “Umuopara Ring Road: Under Construction or Destruction?”
This article was so titled because of the low quality of works, that World Wide Construction Ltd, owned by Chief Ako Obioma, who is from Ezeleke Umuopara, one of the communities this Umuopara Ring Road is meant to serve, was doing on the road.
I noticed in the article that the drainage he was casting was of poor quality in terms of engineering standards of width, depth, reinforcements and concreting.
I also noticed that provision for width of the road to be constructed was compromised. As a road that accommodates heavy wheels on a daily basis due to sand mining activities that take place in the communities that the road link to, I expected a width that will take that factor into consideration.
I went ahead in that publication to articulate all the flaws that I captured in the execution of the contract as awarded to him then by T.A. Orji.
As if the write up was prophetic about what was to soon happen, the construction of this road, no matter the flaws, was abandoned after the publication.
And throughout the remaining tenure of Chief T.A. Orji, the issue of this road was not revisited till he left office. As expected, all the poor drainages cast never survived one rainy season and they were all eroded down.
In fact, everything he did on the road, even the grading were all destroyed by the rains due to their poor qualities. Whatever amount that was allocated for that contract then was not accounted for and the job was abandoned.
Not many cared to talk about this unfortunate development” Mr Okpemandu further said “Today, another machavelian and egregious drama has started on this same road by this same contractor.
Sometime last year, the people of Umuopara rejoiced over the news that another contract for the construction of Umuopara Ring Road from Five Miles to Umunwanwa has been reawarded to this same contractor.
A contract mobilization sum of One Hundred Million Naira, was given to him, the Chief Executive of World Wide Construction Ltd, by the present governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to commence construction job on this road.
This news came to many Umuopara people with mixed feelings considering the antecedents of the contractor.
However, many people, including my humble self, who criticised him earlier, rose in his defence and advised people to give him another chance as a benefit of doubt.
It was almost approaching December, when this contract was awarded again and he began as previously to mobilise some old construction machineries on the road.
The next thing was deployment of manual labour in redigging the fallen drainages and digging of new ones.
Ehume, Ekenobizi, and Ezeleke people who were engaged for the manual execution of the diggings, as alleged, complained of being owed.
This was when it dawned on me that a repeat performance of the gimmickry witnessed in the previous contract was about to be repeated in this fresh contract that he was mobilized with the sum of One Hundred Million Naira.
I took time out to walk through the road as I was documenting the extent of work done to justify the abandonment of the project and a discontinuance of job on the construction of the road by the contractor.
I discovered that the contractor has not done enough to justify stoppage of work and the demand for more money from the state government after being mobilized with 100 Million Naira.
For the sake of not exceeding the length planned for this piece, I want to beseech and implore, Chief Ako Obioma to go back to site and execute this contract to a reasonable extent to justify the mobilization of 100 Million Naira that has been given to him for this job.
It will amount to a serious act of sabotage against the governor of the state who is already facing criticisms for the myriads of issues that the state is faced with, if he continues to manifest monumental insincerity and ineptitude in his execution of this contract.
The road contract is awarded to him by the governor on behalf of the good people of Umuopara to serve their development interest.
It is not awarded to him as his personal project because of his good relationship with the governor, as he has been seen and heard claiming”
I hope you are taken note Sir Ako Obioma, Mr Okemandu added that “It will therefore be a grievous and devious act of cruelty to the people of Umuopara, if an indigeneous contractor sabotages the effort of the present governor to fulfill this long overdue promise to the people of Umuopara…
For the sake of emphasis, most of the materials he has used so far to execute the contract were sourced along the road. Like the sand he has so far used for some fillings and grading, which are the major works he has so far done on the road, were dug from the sides of the road.
The execution of diggings for the drainages were done manually. Sand used for casting of the drainages were dug from the road. The question is, “Where has Chief Ako Obioma spent the 100 Million given to him for this job?”
Sir Ako Obioma, let us leave Okpemandu Cyphus CyMartins complain against you for now, the full text can be made available to you to digest sir!
Am sure you remembered Imo State and how several contracts was awarded to you, am sure here again the Governor failed you or as always you disappointed the people of Ihitte Oboma and Ahiazu Mbaise through your companies Worldwide Environment Tech Ltd awarded the construction of Umuezegwu -Ogbor Ahiazu- Ekwereazu Ahiara Mbaise Road or let me see Daman Resources Nig Ltd.
One of your other companies also disappointed the people of Ideato South and Onuimo respectively on the Umuaka through Dikenafai Road and Okwelle Roundabout.
It is easy for you to caste aspersions on those that drew you close for the betterment of the people when in reality you were more concern of your stomach.
Let see, if you are truthful to yourself, you know that Ochendo gave you more contracts than he gave even his Ibeku brothers. Roads, which in your usual characteristics of seeing government contract as a means of syphoning and enriching yourself, you abandoned after collecting payment.
Sir Ako! Sir Ako!! You know that you have swag, always busy competing to show off and exhibiting your wealth amongst your brother, the open roof Lamborghini and Mercedes you ride in umuahia is a testament of how well you executed the contracts given to you; for your glory and the detriment of the people.
It is good that you ask our dear Governor to champion a course for the libration of indigenous contractors.
If you as one of the pioneering indigenous contractor had laid a good and solid example, many would have benefited, but in your eyes of rising above others no matter the cost to the state, contributed in the deplorable state of Abia roads today which Governor Ikpeazu is painfully and systematically putting back to good use.
Thank God that His Excellency Dr Okezie Ikpeazu’s Ngwa brothers that he gives contracts to are not anything like you, if not the positive narratives and accolades been received by him today will not be there and probably your action once again might make him a persona non grata in Ngwa land.
I also thank God that if T.A Orji had relied solely on you, most of the legacies he left behind and the current ones his building today would never have seen the light of the day.
You have never justified the amount of money released to you on state government contract awarded to you, no wonder a prudent Governor Ikpeazu stopped the payment of bogus claims been made by you, and you think by running to the media to spew nonsensical nonsense we will rise and applaud you.
Abians have passed the stage of turning my enemy’s friend his enemy, so he can be my friend.
Sir, i hope you have returned back all the contracts you took from your brother Chomen who is the original owner of the company you took over to glorify in.
In conclusion Chief Sir Ako Obioma relate with this quote from Janwillem Van De Wetering “Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough”.
