By Emman Ovuakporie

*As contractor insists firm did a good job

OWERRI—THREE sections of a road project on Owerri-Umuahia in Imo state yesterday failed all tests  to ascertain the level of compliance in the execution of contracts as specified by the Federal Ministry of Works.

This was discovered by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, led by its Chairman, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, during an inspection tour of federal roads in the state.

The team, consisting mainly of Reps who are engineers subjected the road project to scientific tests via  the eco-test system and currying machines.

At the end of the tests, the various portions tested along the 22km road and culverts failed.

The site contractor, Mr. Ferdin Amin, of Zerock Construction Nig Ltd, the contracting firm, had protested that his men had done a good job.

Ozomgbachi, however asked the contractor to point out portions he was sure were properly done and same poor result was revealed by the machines.

Ozomgbachi at the end of the inspection, had told journalists that ”the essence of this whole exercise is to ensure that the tax payer gets value for his money at all times.

”But these tests are not the final results as we shall put the samples collected to further laboratory tests and still come back to see whether the various amendments have been made to specification.“

The Committee members covered the Ahiara Round About, Enyiogugu-Aboh junction and Nkwogu Enyiogugu.

The contract sum of the 22km road was put at N4,207,774,864.51 and amount paid since last June when the contract was awarded, stood at N1,320,708,058.45.

Those in the inspection team include Chairman House Committee on Works, Hon Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Fort Dike, Abdulmalik Usman, Tobias Okwuru, Ajibola Famurewa, Nosakhare Osaretin, Ganama Kwaga, Ibrahim Nuhu and t’he Imo State Federal road  Controller, Mr. E.Nwankwo.