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