The Director General of Warri, Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency, WUEDA, Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere has given 7 days ultimatum to engineers of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCECC, the firm handling the storm water drainage project in Ugboroke to cover all open manholes on the street to forestall dangerous accidents that could claim lives or cause bodily harm to unsuspecting members of the public, especially at night.
The Director General gave the ultimatum in Ugboroke Village, on Monday, when he led a team of WUEDA engineers to inspect the project at Eki and River Road area of Ugboroke in Uvwie Local Government Area.
Hon. Ejinyere noticed with displeasure that many manholes were left open, while others were poorly covered. He described the uncovered manholes as death traps, and ordered the company to cover all of them properly within one week, adding that “safety must not be compromised in any construction site.”
Commenting on the DG’s observation, the Agency’s Director of Project and Works, Engineer Bemingho Ofoeyeno said he had warned the construction firm several times to cover the open manholes but the officials kept promising that they would comply. He wondered how long it would take them to do so, to forestall needless work-site accidents.
Prince Ejinyere also frowned at the report that the Water Board pipes removed from the drainage right of way were taken away by some community youths without the permission of the Agency. Responding, the Community Liaison Officer, CLO to the Water Board, Mr. Femi claimed that the said pipes were in the custody of CCECC.
To this end, the DG warned that “nobody has any right to take any material from the construction site without the Agency’s permission, adding that anyone found culpable would be treated as a criminal according to law.
He enjoined CCECC’s site engineer and the water board’s CLO to ensure that culprits were apprehended, promising that the Agency would deal decisively with such persons to serve as a deterrent to others and warned the community youths against interference with the project execution.
He urged residents and leaders of the community to hasten the removal of their property on the right of way for unhindered continuation of the project. Hon. Prince Ejinyere urged the contractor handling the removal of electricity poles and cables on the road to facilitate the process in order to fast track the completion of the drainage project.
The WUEDA DG said the inspection was to ascertain the extent of work done on the project, and appraise the pace at which the obstacles on the right of way were being removed by their owners.
Prince Ejinyere stated that the project was ongoing but “there are unforeseen issues like the removal of wide diameter underground water pipes which now slows down the pace of the project. He however commended community leaders in the area for their cooperation so far.
The DG and his team also inspected the Auntie Rose axis of the project along Airport Road and ordered the immediate removal of any underground pipe and cables along the path of the storm drainage project.
Meanwhile, Prince Godwin Ejinyere has appealed to motorists and commuters using Airport Road to be patient, as efforts by WUEDA and CCECC were in top gear to fast track the storm water drainage project and open the temporarily closed lane for normal traffic flow soonest.
