THE RCC CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELEME EAST WEST ROAD SHOULD BE REVOKE NOW, AND RE-WARDED TO A REPUTATION CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
Our heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedy and horrible fire Accident on the Eleme East West road.
Hundreds of lives, trucks and cars were counted in the fire Accident
The poor handling and inability of RCC to provide smooth alternative route or ease of traffic is the root cause of the fire Accident, hence RCC should pay for all the damages caused by the fire accident, after which the contract should be revoked immediately
The deplorable state of the Eleme East West road triggered massive coordinated protest by the Youths of Eleme, supported by the Youths Ogoni and Okrika, after which the road construction was re-awarded to RCC.
The signing of the contract by RCC attracted protest letters from community Stakeholders and users of the road because it was obvious that RCC never had the capacity and reputation to handle such contract.
The Eleme East West road can be described as one of the most economic strategic road in Nigeria and such critical road should be awarded to one of the first most reputable construction companies in Nigeria which RCC is not one
Since the commencement of the slow pace construction by RCC, road users are lamenting every day for the inability of RCC to provide smooth alternative route
Motorists and Business Operators on the said road are counting loses arising from the hours spent on traffic because of the construction done by RCC.
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Residents on the road are consistently treating several health complications because of the massive dust caused by the ongoing slow/poor job.
The road expansion to more additional lanes requires demolition of properties along the road. The management of RCC through the valuer sometimes last year paid peanuts to property owners from trailer park to refinery junction with the value templated at #1,500 per bag of cement, meanwhile they signed the variation contract at the value of a bag of cement at #5000 then. Most of the properties owners that got the peanuts are now homeless and out of Business because the amount paid as compensation could not provide alternative apartment for them as RCC has destroyed their properties because of the road dualisation.
The second set of property owners from Refinery junction to Eleme junction has not been paid as we speak. Meanwhile RCC has commenced front line demolition of properties threatening to destroy all the properties without paying property owners any dime.
About two filling stations have been demolished without any compensation, hence the owners of 18 Filling stations yet to be demolished sued RCC (SUIT NO: FHC/PH/CS/31/2024) and a restraining order was granted that RCC should not touch those 18 filling stations until adequate compensation has been paid. The matter is in Federal High court. We are going to join all those that lose their properties to the matter because the contract involves RCC making alternative smooth route and making traffic easy.
It is unfortunate that the efforts of Mr President and the recent Hon. Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr Nweze David Umahi CON is been frustrated by the incompetent, slow and poor finishing construction company like RCC
The pains and hardship that RCC on the said road has caused is daily reported in social media by the road users.
We hereby call on Mr President and the honourable minister to revoke the RCC contract on Eleme East West road and re-award to the contract to a reputation construction company that value lives and properties. Even as we solicit that the honourable minister of works should direct RCC to pay for all the loses caused by the fire Accident.
Property owners on the east west road will immediately commence the collation of all records of loses and damages caused by the fire Accident and sue RCC by Monday morning. We are calling on all those that recorded any form of loses to report at Sky Linkers filling station Eleme for data collection
Signed:
Dr Joseph Obele.
Chairman, All property owners on the Eleme East West road
