Wale Jagun
-As Councilors query Council Engineer, surface contractor
The 7th Ikorodu Local Government Legislative Arm, on Tuesday, began investigation into the collapsed Itunmoja Road in Ikorodu, a project hurriedly executed and commissioned by the administration of Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, in his last days in office.
Recall that THE IMPACT reported about a week ago that the Legislative House would summon the Council Engineer and the company that handled the collapsed project.
While the entire House members at its first plenary session interrogated the Council Engineer, Engr. Seyi Oladapo and the Admotaq engineer, a 4 – man committee headed by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Idris Olaniyi Shokunbi, will chair the committee while Hon. Oluwakemi Buraimoh, Chief Whip, is the Vice Chairman, Hon. Lateefat Egbetokun as Secretary and Hon. Safari Murisiku, who was a former Supervisor in Hon. Wasiu Adeshina’s administration that oversaw the project, is a member of the committee. The committee was set up to further probe the project.
The committee, THE IMPACT gathered, is also expected to ensure that the contractors do proper work on the road project and hand it over to the council.
The road, which is among several projects commissioned by the Adeshina’s administration in his last days in office, was awarded to two different contractors. While the resurfacing of the project was awarded to Admotaq company owned by the immediate past Council Engineer, Ikorodu LG, Engr. Adekoya, the construction of the drainage system was handled by Bovadem, a company owned by a former Council Chairman in Ikorodu Constituency II.
At the plenary session yesterday, THE IMPACT gathered that the Council Engineer, Engr. Seyi Oladapo, only appeared with the Admotaq engineer, a situation which the Councilors queried. According to sources, the Council Engineer surprised the Councilors when he was asked about his professional position on the project and he responded that he was satisfied.
However, when he was asked if he had given the contractors satisfactory letters, he responded otherwise.
After the engagement with the Council Engineer, it was gathered that the Councilors turned to the contractor who described what happened as a disaster caused by the rainfall.
When further queried on what level asphalt should be when applied on the road, the contractor said that 40 metres is ideal for a resurfaced road, but when shown that what he applied was far less, our reporter gathered that the contractor had no response.
During the interrogation, it was also gathered that both contractors were given three months by the erstwhile administration, to complete the project.
But the engineer that appeared before the House failed to provide letter of contract awarded to him.
It was again gathered that the Councilors established that the contractors have not formally handed over the project to the council, whereas, the former Chairman commissioned the road, thus, the Councilors classified the project as an ongoing project and urged Admotaq company to complete the road project after which a proper inspection would be done and certified.
While the company agreed to work on the collapsed road, when asked for duration of time that he needed for its completion, he raised an issue that the drainage system which was constructed by Bovadem, before he executed the resurfacing, needed adjustment because it contributed to the collapse of the asphalt.
It was gathered that he argued that the drainage system did not allow for free flow of water.
The House, in its resolution, said that the project was badly executed and the contractors must go back to site, while the Council Engineer was mandated to ensure that they are back on site to properly deliver the project.
The councilors, it was gathered, also raised the issue that the drainage was incomplete aside from the concern raised by the contractor that handled the resurfacing of the road. It was specifically stated that the drainage project at the frontage of Alashe Itunmoja, was abandoned.
