Across the various LGAs communities in Abia State, federal constituency projects, intended to implement needed infrastructure and facilitate sustainable social engineering that will elevate and improve the residents’ quality of life, are lying incomplete. Several of them are either out-rightly non-existent or not in use. BDSUNDAY Investigative Journalist, Chinwe Agbeze, who spent two weeks in Abia State for on-sight visits to these project sites, reports.
Of all the factors that influence the well-being of any community, developing and implementing projects are part of strategies for intended positive impacts on the lives of the people.
But whilst every community has its own peculiar concerns and needs; residents of focused communities in Abia State, are lamenting being out-rightly deprived of promised constituency projects by politicians to ensure service deliveries. To them, they are feeling cheated by failed politicking syndrome of Nigeria’s politicians’ empty promises.
Back in May, a traditional ruler who does not wish to be named, in one of the communities in Abia Central Senatorial Zone, lamented that his community has never witnessed any developmental schemes. He bemoaned how they are yet to see any visible changes to the life of their quiet community despite huge sums of money allegedly to have been released for a number of projects to improve the lives of the people.
He lamented that, year-in-and-out, politicians come with life-changing promises to initiate and implement projects that will better their lives. “However, they all end up without completing, abandoning or the projects never getting sighted in the least”.
He said that though huge sums were released to drill a borehole in the community, the residents still drink water from the same stream they bathe in, thereby posing grave dangers to their health.
Few months after his protests, a Community Service Organisation (CSO), Women in Aid Collective (WACOL), conducted a survey on Constituency Projects in Abia State. The WACOL’s efforts pegged the total number of abandoned or not-started-at-all Federal Constituency projects in the State at 22 percent.
On Sites’ Fact-finding
Trailing the projects, this reporter embarked on verification visits to the sites of various Federal Constituency projects in the State, focusing on those budgeted for, between the years 2015 and 2017.
Arriving Aba in Abia State on Monday, August 27, 2018; the first port of call was the Ukwa West Local Government Area. That’s the exact site of a proposed sports centre slotted in the 2017 zonal intervention/constituency projects to be constructed at a cost of N50 million.
Getting to that location was a tortuous trip from Port-Harcourt to Obehie Junction. This reporter waded through deep gullies and craters which made passing the roads a nightmare. Some of the residents later narrated that the journey ought to ordinarily last for 30 minutes rather than the one-and-a-half-hours wasted on the deplorable route.
Locating the sports centre site was another Herculean task. To many residents, the mention of a sports centre in their community was news -they have never heard of such a project.
In fact, the first motorcyclist rode past the site taking the reporter to another location. It was a second biker, who claimed to have grown up in that area and indeed, spent most of his leisure periods around the proposed sports centre, that eventually took her there. “That’s the sports centre. We played football and held other matches in the time past here; but not anymore,” he said resignedly.
The proposed sports centre sits by the roadside. It is a walking distance from the Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) office in Ukwa West LGA. However, the structure is currently overgrown with grass.
Close-by was a barely visible signpost tucked inside the bush. It had neither the name of the project nor that of the contractor. On a careful scrutiny, the diagram of a stadium could be faintly seen.
To get official details on the project, this reporter was referred to one Ogechukwu (aka Okwute), at the Ukwa West LGA headquarters, Oke-Ikpe. He is said to be the supervisor-in-charge of sports projects in the area.
But arriving Ogechukwu’s office about 10.00am, he was yet to report for work. Then, with his phone number being obtained and a call put through to him; he asked the reporter to wait until 2.00pm.
As later realised however, it was apparent Ogechukwu never intended to show up for work as he confessed to his colleague who called him 30 minutes afterwards. From that point on, calls to his line were diverted to no other number in particular. Worse still, he didn’t respond to the text messages sent to him.
And up till the filing of this report months after, Ogechukwu’s clarifications on the status of the sports centre in Ukwa West LGA, are yet to be received.
Uncompleted Structures
In all, BDSUNDAY visited twelve Federal Constituency projects for verification of their respective status.
Incomplete are the construction and renovation of Umuelem Central School, Isuochi in Umunneochi LGA, Secondary Grammar School in Bende, Bende LGA, and another school in Amankwu, in Ohafia, Ohafia LGA; yet, the trio are captured in the 2017 zonal intervention/constituency projects.
Indeed, a visit to these schools showed that the projects were abandoned midway. Everything around the school buildings did not indicate any plans of completion in sight.
Then, the next location of visit was Umuelem Central School, Isuochi, where N13million was allotted for the renovation of a classroom block. As BDSUNDAY’s reporter landed in front of a signboard that read ‘Umuelem Central School, Umuelem Isuochi’, her initial reaction was like she hadn’t got to the right destination. Everywhere was quiet as schools were on vacation. Almost simultaneously, she saw the inscription ‘FGN/UBEC/ZIP 2017 Constituency Project’ on a classroom marked ‘Basic 2’.
Stunned! She stood gazing at a block of five classrooms and a smaller room which looked like an office. The second, third and fourth rooms marked ‘Basic 1’, ‘Basic 2’ and ‘Basic 3’, respectively, are painted yellow and green with a matching green roof. All the classrooms were locked with the exception of one whose door had fallen off. Entering the classroom, few of its windows had also fallen off. Then, at the back, there were piles of planks from broken chairs and doors and the surroundings covered in thick bush. A rickety table stood in the middle of the classroom.
From what could be read on the blackboard, the last time learning took place in this classroom was on June 29, 2018. It was also evident that pupils sat on building blocks for their learning session. One of the blocks was positioned in front of the blackboard, apparently for the teacher, while others were neatly lined close to the side walls.
Now, with N30million budgeted in the 2017 zonal intervention/constituency projects for the construction of classroom blocks in Bende and Ohafia LGAs in Abia North senatorial districts, works here, were half-done.
At Secondary Grammar School in Bende, Bende LGA, no classroom was constructed. In its place, four-and-a-half classroom blocks were renovated. Under the half unpainted block was written, ‘Renovated Under ETF 2010 Normal Intervention Project’. Some of the doors were still begging to be replaced while the roofs which had caved in, require urgent attention.
It was a 17Km terrifying ride on the rough road to Amankwu, Ohafia in Ohafia LGA, where a classroom block was to be constructed. Both motorists and motorcyclists avoid the narrow, bumpy and mud-covered road enclosed by tall, thick bush. The biker, who braved the ordeal to take this journalist to Amankwu village, ended up regretting the venture.
On arrival, the villagers mistook this reporter and her guide for politicians who only visit few months to elections to make promises they never fulfil. But with much persuasion, they were calmed and convinced otherwise.
The uncompleted block of five classrooms was hidden amidst thick bushes as if it was ashamed of itself. It was later revealed that the classroom had been abandoned since 2017 whilst under construction.
When asked why the project was abandoned halfway, Elekwa Akuma, Special Assistant to the state Governor on Grassroots Mobilisation, who is also a resident in the community, responded: “Actually, this is a FG project. But we are still projecting for them to continue. It’s just that you have to bid, bid and bid again before they will do it. For me, to get this project to this level, I’m a Hitler. You know all politicians, we start projects; once you hear the initial notices, politicians finish their projects on the air, in the radio and papers.”
Continuing, Akuma said, “When schools resume, pupils will start learning in the uncompleted building pending the time the FG would complete it. In fact, the FG actually asked if we wanted primary school or college. We said college, because if it were primary, it would be only two classrooms. And who will come here to identify whether it is primary or secondary school?” he queried.
Another very salient but abandoned project is the construction of a fence at Aircraft Maintenance Engineering School, Isuochi contracted to Superplus Investment Services Limited. At the sum of N50 million allocated for its completion; the project was marked as ‘on-going’ in the 2017 budget.
On visiting the site on August 29, 2018, work activities were on-going. But nothing was seen being done on the fence. Six construction workers were sighted on what was later said to be the foundation and superstructure of the administrative block.
One of the workers who wouldn’t give his name said they last worked on the fence three years ago. He also added that on-going works on the administrative block only commenced the previous day, Tuesday, August 28, 2018.
When the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), was contacted as the client company in-charge of the project, the engineer, who identified himself as Henry, said they had to suspend work on the fence owing to shortage of funds. Adding that the project commenced in December 2015; he said within six months, 1.5Km of the fence and the gate house got constructed.
He said: “We only worked briefly on the fence in 2016 and it is not yet completed due to what was allocated to us to do it. And we have completed that. If funds are available, fencing the aircraft school won’t take more than a year.” He however, declined to offer further information on the project.
To verify his claims, BDSUNDAY reporter visited the contractor’s office address at the Eleganza Plaza on No 1, Commercial Road, Apapa, in Lagos, as displayed on the project signboard. However, the plaza’s supervisor said they have no record of such a company.
The supervisor, a man called Felix, told BDSUNDAY: ‘‘We don’t have any company by that name here. I have been working here for more than five years. I know all the companies in this plaza. We have never had the company you are looking for.’’
According to a document obtained from the Federal Ministry of Aviation’s website; the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, received a total capital of N1.19 billion for the 2015 zonal intervention projects. It was under this that the construction of the fence at Aircraft Maintenance Engineering School, Isuochi, appeared.
On the quest for details, efforts were made to speak with Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, House of Representative member in charge of Isuikwato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency. Calls placed to her line were not answered up till the time of filing this report. Also, response to short messages sent to her mobile line requesting for information about the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering School and Umuelem Primary school, are still being awaited.
Still in the bid to acquire official information on the project, on November 22, 2018, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), sent Freedom of Information (FOI), requests to both the Ministries of Aviation and Education. It was to acquire facts on the actual amount of funds disbursed for the projects and to verify the status of works done. Also till date, no official responses have been obtained from the two ministries concerned.
Procured but not installed transformers
For the procurement and installation of six transformers in the Abia Central Senatorial zone represented by Theodore Orji, immediate past governor of the state, N40million was apportioned in the 2017 zonal intervention/constituency projects. It was meant to be one each to a specific community in the respective six LGAs of the district.
A government representative from each of the LGAs had to be contacted in order to be able to get the exact communities where the transformers were to be installed.
On interactions, those contacted said each procured transformers had been respectively installed in specific communities such as: Amizi Olokoro in Umuahia South, Awomokwu in Ikwuano, Isingwu in Umuahia North, Nsulo in Isiala Ngwa North, and Isiala Okpu in Osisioma. The Isiala-Ngwa South representative could not be reached. His phone gave the switched-off auto-response on the two attempts made to contact him.
It was, however, a different story on visits to some of the other communities.
A transformer was procured but not installed at Amizi Olokoro community. Speaking with the traditional ruler on September 1, 2018; Eze Lawrence Eluwa, he said the transformer was procured three months earlier, but the community needs about N2.2million to get it installed.
He added: “They just supplied it to us. They have not installed it. So, we are looking for help to install it and it is capital-intensive for a small community as ours.”
Also speaking, the traditional prime minister of Amizi, Francis Etuzu, said they are making efforts to raise the money for the installation. He intoned: “Our first intention is to approach well-to-do individuals in the community to assist us to install it. But, if we cannot raise it all from them, we can now task each person in the community.”
Etuzu also noted that the community was on the verge of writing to the Abia State Oil Producing Development Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC); but they are stalled by the uncertainty of wondering if their request would be granted.
He also said that: “On Friday, August 31, 2018, the chairman of Umuahia South LGA, said we should do a letter to ASOPADEC requesting it to come and install the transformer. Every time electricity is supplied, some people will have light while others will not because we have 10 villages in our community. We were even told we need two transformers for everyone to enjoy electricity at the same time. Till date, we are still stuck where we are.”
As for Awomokwu, a community in Ikwuano LGA, it also received a transformer from former Governor Theodore Orji in 2017. Their challenge is also installation.
In the words of its president-general, Martin Omeruo, “the electricity contractors are waiting for wires and other amenities to commence the installation.”
Transformers not Procured
At Okpu Isingwu community in Umuahia North, no transformer was bought. The traditional ruler, Eze Kingsley Emekobum, said, “I don’t have the time to be chasing any officials up-and-down for them to do what they are supposed to do. And in the process of doing such, the little money that I have to feed myself I will use to give them bribe.”
Emekobum noted that prior to this time, the community had only one existing transformer. But, that is not enough. Adding: “When we have light, it goes off the next minute because the transformer cannot carry everyone. This area requires two or three more transformers.” He also reiterated that sometimes, some people have light while others don’t have because of the overload on the transformer.
Unfortunately, due to security hitches and the hard-to-reach strains of some of the surrounding localities, BDSUNDAY could not visit Nsulo community in Isiala Ngwa North and Isiala Okpu in Osisioma LGAs.
When former Gov. Theodore Orji was contacted, he did not pick the calls neither did he respond to messages seeking further information on the project in his locale. However, several efforts are still being made to reach him.
This investigation was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICR.
