“Ochacho Foundation to stop charity work on Makurdi-Otukpo road this weekend, alleges sabotage from Benue South politicians”
Chairman of Ochacho Foundation, King Mohammed Adah, says effective from this weekend Friday 14th January, 2022 work on the Makurdi/Otukpo federal road will stop and men, machineries will be withdrawn from the site, as a result of a recent Stop-Work-Order secured against the project as well as physical threats to engineers & men on site.
A statement signed by the Managing Director of the construction company, Alex Ogbe alleged that some highly placed politicians from Benue South Senatorial district are not happy with the infrastructural development & transformation being undertaken by the foundation in the zone, stressing that the action taken by these highly placed politicians is borne out of selfish interests.
Recall that Ochacho Foundation embarked on the rehabilitation of some sections of the Makurdi – Otukpo road after the Otukpo traditional council and elders led by the Och’Otukpo Odu Chief John Eimonye, visited the chairman of the foundation, Mohammed Adah at his Otukpo residence and pleased with him to come to the aid of the people by helping to improve the condition of the road to mitigate the rate of accidents leading to the immeasurable deaths as a result of deplorable state of the road.
According to the Ochacho representative, a letter signed by Federal Ministry of Works seen by News men, ordered Ochacho Foundation to stop work on the road contract which has already been awarded construction company.
The letter signed by Federal Controller of Works, Engr. C. O. Oke noted that, after meeting with the Foundation to address issues of concern on why it should not embark on the rehabilitation of the road it went ahead without due approval from Federal Ministry.
Some of the issues cited by the Stop-Work-Order to justify the underdevelopment decision include distortion of master plan for the dualization of Otukpo township road, usage of materials not subjected to Laboratory test in the carriageway without a recourse to the ministry is worrisome and the unprofessional act that posed great embarrassment to the ministry and the likelihood of the ministry incurring additional cost in the future.
The letter titled unlawful act being perpetrated by non governmental organization found to be working on the subsisting contract in the dualization of Otukpo road in Benue state awarded to Messrs Rock Bridge Nigeria NO 6259, threatened legal sanctions from authorities concerned should the foundation fail to uphold the Stop-Work-Order.
From Lord James.
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