Wednesday 19 August 2015

Youths in Esit Eket attack contractor over abandoned project

 A section of the abandoned project (Photo credit: Punch newspaper)


By Etim Ekpimah

Youths of Ikpa village in Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have attacked O.J. Osubob & Company Limited for failing to execute a project on erosion control and provision of drainage in the area in 2013.

Our correspondent learnt that the gully on the portion of the road that leads to Ikot Abio Esok, a reservoir of oil field managed by Frontier Oil Company Limited.
The youths, who attacked residence of the firm’s Managing Director, Mr. Okon Osubob, on Friday with dangerous weapons, were said to have accused Osubob of abandoning the contract after he had been mobilised by the Akwa Ibom State Government to start work in 2013.
The youths said Osubob’s failure to carry the project led to the death of five residents. They said also destroyed houses and economic trees.
One of the youth leaders, Mr. Okokon Etuk, who spoke with Southern City News on Saturday, said those who lost their lives included an employee of Union Technical College, Ikpa Town, Mr. Etim Jonah; Idorenyin Ntekim; Monday Harry and two minors.
Etuk asked Osubob to pay compensation to persons who suffered loss as a result of his failure to check the erosion.
He alleged that if the contractor did not divert the contract sums and had promptly executed the job, the losses would not have occurred.
“The O.J. Osubob and Company Limited must pay for the loss of those lives and property. The company must compensate the families of the deceased persons so that they can take care of the training of their children and other dependants they have snatched from them.
“This contractor was awarded the contract to tackle the erosion menace in this village since 2013, but he abandoned the job. So, he has to pay for the death of those persons,” he said.
But Osubob, who reacted to the development, said his company had not been mobilised since the contract was awarded his company by the Akwa-Ibom State Government in 2013 during the tenure of the immediate past governor, Senator Godwsill Akpabio.
He stated that it was true that the administration of Akpabio awarded his company, O. J. Osubob & Company Limited, the contract on erosion control and road diversion, arguing that the contract was stalled due to non-release of funds by the government.
“I had followed all the processes leading to the award of the contract and had even moved my equipment to site. Unfortunately, no fund was released by the government for me to execute the job.
“Since I had already moved equipment to the site, I went and secured bank facilities and started the job to ameliorate the situation with the hope that government would pay me as agreed. But after exhausting the money I obtained from the banks and government has not released any money to me till date, I couldn’t push the work further.
“I have incurred debts as a result of this contract and the banks that gave me the loans to commence the job are now on my neck and now, suspicious angry youths have attacked my house and perhaps, worse harm could have been done if they met anybody in the house when they came,” he said.
Meanwhile, a letter dated August 10, addressed and signed by chairman, Ikpa Village, Mr. Etim Eno, and the General Secretary, Mr. Amos Enyiekpon, to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, described the gully erosion as a monster, which is about to wash away Ikpa community.
The letter indicated that the gully erosion had washed away many houses, rendered many homeless and also destroyed countless economic trees.
“So far, five persons have died in the gully erosion. The gully erosion is located on the road, which leads to Ikot Abio Esok, a reservoir of oil field which Frontier Oil Company Limited is about to cross over to commence work,” the letter read.

Culled from The Punch newspaper


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