BENIN CITY – Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), an umbrella body of civil rights groups in Edo state, has kicked against shoddy roads construction projects across the state.
The Coordinator General, EDOCSO, Comrade Omobude Agho who made the group’s position known on Wednesday during a road inspection tour of Aisosa Street off Medical Stores Road in Benin City, reaffirmed the need for citizens to engage government to demand quality projects as it is their right as taxpayers.
Comrade Agho asserted that, most contractors handling these projects often get the backing of some government officials who get kick-backs from them, hence the delivery of substandard jobs.
EDOCSO on which instance Edo State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Edo State Committee on NDDC Projects, and regulatory bodies of engineers (COREN/ERM) were on ground at the site, vowed to ensure it continually inspects projects embarked upon by all tiers of government.
The professionals, especially officers from Edo State Ministry of Physical Planning And Urban Development, who did on the spot assessment and analysis of the job along the street (Aisosa), promised to remove structures that poses impediments to the project that have created a narrow curvature at a point.
However, it was resolved that stakeholders would meet to look at the issues holistically and examine the project specification documents in other to reach an informed conclusion on the matter.
The group vows to continue the inspection across the state to ensure projects are executed according to contract specification and the laws on local content adhere to.
