WARRI — THE over N14 billion  Koko-Oghoye Road project of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, launched only three months ago at Koko, headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State is yet to take off properly,  after the construction firm, Levant Construction Limited collected over N2 billion  as mobilisation fee.

When Vanguard visited the take off point of the project site at Aja-Olugbeti in Koko town, recently, only about 50 metres of the 15.2km of the swampy road have been cleared with the contractor leaving only one swamp bogey as construction equipment on site, instead of a minimum of three, according to a civil engineer at the site, who said: “I doubt if the construction company is serious with the execution of the project.”

A government engineer who also spoke to Vanguard on the project speed, said the Omadino Road project, whose contractor received far less mobilisation fee was moving faster than Levant handling the Koko-Oghoye Road project, as they had not only mobilised more dredgers to site to meet target but are already stock piling sand, noting that these are evidence of seriousness.

He said with the huge mobilization paid so far the evidence of job performance on ground by Levant is far too slow.

Vanguard however gathered that it was only recently the NDDC commenced crop enumeration/evaluation to settle locals whose economic interest would be jeopardized by the job even as it was reliably learnt that Levant is foot dragging on negotiation with the Koko community.

But then a community leader spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard that because of the interest of the larger Itsekiri nation on the execution of the project and its importance, the Koko community has been very co_operative with Levant construction to enable work progress at a better speed.

The ground breaking ceremony of the road project that has been on the drawing board for over fifty years was done last June under the auspices of the Member representing the Warri Federal constituency in the House of Representative, Hon. Daniel Reyenieju in a grand style with the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan performing the ground breaking ceremony accompanied by the NDDC Managing Director represented by the State Commissioner on the NDDC board, Mr. Emma Ogidi.