Dafe bows to pressure; hands off Umutu market project to DESOPADEC

…Contractor paid N59m without appreciable work done

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The Chairman of Ukwuani local government, Mr. Chukwudi Dafe has bow to pressure by accepting to hand over Umutu Utra-modern Market to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, for completion.

This decision was reached at meeting between the Chairman and delegates from Umutu Community where they told the council boss that the market project which has gulped N59m out of the sum of N60m contract sum without appreciable work done, need to be completed in order to serve the purpose for which it was sited.

According to the chairman after the meeting; “we have handed over Umutu Utra-modern Market project to DESOPADEC for completion with a charge to meet the architectural and aesthetic specifications conceived by the council before the commencement of the work a decade ago”. He said.

The chairman, who was explaining while he gave the directive that the market project be put on hold, explained that, there were gross errors in the report about the market as filed by Hon (Barr.) Benedicta Ndudi Izuegbu-Osakunih, the immediate council chairman that needed to be put straight.

He further noted that, the manner with which DESOPADEC took over and started work in the market did not follow due process, adding that work in the Umutu Utra-modern Market was almost 60 – 80 percent done.

While praying for a perfect work to be executed, he however lauded the initiator of the idea for the completion of the market while adding that he meant well for the Umutu people as well as every community in Ukwuani local government hence he is insisting that the work should be done right.

Responding, Hon Christopher Nwajiogoli thanked the chairman for his respect for due process and also assured him that the community will ensure that the market is completed according to specifications.

Our investigation has revealed that the job which was left unattended to by successive government, was taking over by DESOPADEC after due process was followed, but the council chairman took legal action against the commission for working on what he termed a local government job.

From investigation, it was however gathered that the sum of N59 million had been committed into the market construction, without appreciable work done.

Further investigation also revealed that the change of tone by the council chairman may not be unconnected with complain made to the governor of the state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, who was visibly angry with the action of the council chairman, accusing him of trying to sabotage the SMART Agenda of his government.

It could be recalled that DESOPADEC recently completed the Umutu Skill Acquisition Centre, which was initially a project of State Ministry of Youths and Sports, but was handed over to the commission, which is an interventionist Agency.

Apart from these two projects, the commission is currently handling some other projects in council area, which are not direct jobs of the commission, these includes the reconstruction of the Ekpemili Primary School, Ebedei, the de-flooding of the Obiaruku Main Market.