Umahi urge communities leaders  to  guarantee  security of Contractors.

 

 

.issues 7-Days ultimatum to communities, stakeholders to submit sworn affidavit to abide by Govt Directive 

 

From. Clement Nnachi (Abakaliki

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has threatened to shutdown any section of the Ring Road projects in communities that failed to guarantee the security of  Contractors handling projects in their domain.

 

In a similar vein, Umahi has issued a 7-Day ultimatum to community stakeholders and

to submit a sworn affidavit to comply to government directive.

 

The Governor made the assertion on Wednesday while addressing Traditional Rulers, Local Government Chairmen ,Coordinators and stakeholders at an enlarged Site

meeting for all the eight Lots of the Ring Road project.

 

According to him,” the Ring Road project is being threatened  and I will be willing to shutdown any of the Sections that will not comply to my directive today”

 

“Firstly, I need a sworn affidavit from all the traditional rulers, Town Union Presidents, Chairmen of the local government and Coordinators where the roads are passing to be crafted by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG ) and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice (HAG).

 

“The affidavit will be that they will take responsibility for the security of the contractors, , everyone involved in the discharge of their duties and also their equipments”

 

The Governor threatened that any of affidavits not received after Seven days will result to the shutting down of the Section and it will never be reopened on account of security .,

“Where we believe we have problem will be the axis of Effium in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the State, so far we have not had any record of insecurity in the axis of 135-Ezza North to Ezza south, Ikwo -Abakaliki, Izzi -Ebonyi Local Government Area”

 

Umahi warned the Contractors to stop being funny and approach to issues insisting that they have to appoint liaison Officer in all the communites the project is passing through in their  Section.

 

He opined, ” they will also give a local Vigilante and this local vigilante will be two, there will be more than 10 local vigilantes on the machine that will be patrolling your section  day and night while another set will be stationed at the yards of the contractors”

 

Umahi directed the Consultant on Security Implementation Unit, Attorney General  and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to see to this within Seven days.

 

The Governor said that the  Second aspect of the security is the Police  and Army security stating  “any contractor who failed to comply to this will leave the site, time has come for the Project Unit and the Consultants and Contractors to go back to the Commissioner of Police  to discuss the security requirements”

 

“You don’t play game with your security, there is insecurity all over the country and Ebonyi state is not different but through the help of this people here, we are doing even better than other states but nothing is taking for granted”

 

Speaking against the backdrop of the Effium axis of the Ring Road Project, Umahi said that  the government was suspending all operation on the site for the next Seven days.

 

“We will want semilar commitment from the Stakeholders there ,  20 People from Effium and 20 people  from Effium -Ezza side that will get committed together with the traditional rulers, Town Union Presidents, Chairmen and coordinators that we can return to site”

 

On the unfortunate incident that happened in Effium where some contractors were reported missing, Umahi announced that he had scheduled a meeting with the Consultant family .

 

The State Chief Executive advised the  Contractors not to play games with the duration of completion of the job stating “if the project is not finished, it will not be good to your image,  I also want to plead with the Traditional Rulers to show the contractors where they will get laterite without charging them”

 

It would be recalled that the Ebonyi State Government embarked on the construction of 198 km Ring road projects that cuts across Eight Local Government Areas of the State.