Various contractors handling major road, drainage projects in Delta state, especially in Asaba, the state capital have ignored the January 3 deadline issued by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to them to return to site.
Governor Uduaghan had on Tuesday revealed that contractors handling projects for the state where paid over N15billion last December and as such have no excuse for not being on site after the Yuletide.
Blank NEWS Online findings have however revealed that contractors are yet to return to site. The Asaba-Ughelli dualization road project, Okpanam-Legislative Quarters and Anwai-Government House drainage systems which have become death-traps to motorists are still unattended to.
Uduaghan had threatened that due to the encouragement given to the contractors, any of them who fail to go back to site this week would be deemed to have abandoned their projects since the money paid was to accelerate work and enable them meet set target as a result of the now conducive weather.
“I am expecting contractors executing government projects to return to site. We paid them N15billion before Christmas and I believe they have no reason not to go back to site by tomorrow (Tuesday 3rd of Jan 2011)”.
But true to bookmakers’ prediction, the contractors have shunned Governor Uduaghan and his threat, just as majority of Deltans say that the abandoned roads and drainage projects have become death-traps.
“These roads and drainages have killed many of our people as vehicles oftentimes plunge into them”.
They also queried why major projects awarded by the state government since the inception of the Uduaghan-led administration are usually abandoned without the perpetrators brought to book.