Irate youths attack contractors in Delta over slow pace of work

Osakhare Erese, Asaba

Some Irate Youths in Ogwashi-Uku community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday allegedly attacked contractors handling the water dam project in Aboh- Ogwashi-Uku, leaving two of them injured.
The irate youths, sources said, claimed that they venting their anger on the contractors over their slow pace workings.
Policemen at the Ogwashi-Uku Police Division who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity said: “we have arrested three of the youths-Felix Okewe, Jacob Nudeke, and Philip Tobare, while others escaped, adding, “we are charging to court for attacking the contractors on site”.
It was gathered that the irate youths, numbering over twenty, in the early hours of yesterday, moved into the site where they allegedly beat up labourers working for the contractors before some of the escaped.
Reliable sources said however that a section of the Dam which collapsed sometimes ago, is currently being built, but the contracting firm (CCXC) handling the project told our reporter that what was left to be completed was the installation of the electricity turbine for the generation of about 2-meghatts of electricity.
A supervisor with the firm, Sylvester Adiwe told our reporter “the current when generated is to be transferred to the national grid, and has the potentials of giving electricity to the host communities and its surroundings”.
He said that besides the generation of electricity, the Dam was also meant to supply potable water for domestic uses, to homes in Ogwashi-Uku, up to some Local Government Areas close to Aniocha-South, besides irrigation which was one of the major reasons for the dam being rebuilt.
It was further gathered for paucity of funds, the Dam project had seemingly been delayed, and it has lasted up to ten years until last year 2017 when the Federal Government budget earmarked N300, 000, 000 for the completion of the project.
Speaking on the issue, the representative of the federal Ministry of Power, Mr. Fidelis Osamor told our reporter that “in a bid to fast track the installation of the electricity turbine, the federal government had pledged to take up the job”, adding that the access road linking the major Ogwashi-Uku-Asaba road to the project site would be tarred.
He added, “it is part of the project in the Bill of Quantity. Besides that, ,the estate built for persons to run the Dam is to be fenced, while every other work is to be completed soonest. What we saw is indeed, encouraging. We are happy that the contractor has mobilized to site, you know that the project had been lying dormant there for a very long time, and I must say that our people’s hope of getting access to portable water has been hanging on assumption following the stoppage of work at the Dam.
“That is why the irate youths allegedly attacked the contractors, but now, work has started, and we are hoping that very soon things will change”.