A multi-million naira water project been executed by Agip oil Company has collapsed at Umusadege-Ogbe Community in Ndokwa West local government area of Delta State leaving in its wake destruction of property of people living around the area.
Conducting journalists round the project site, the Chairman of Umusade-Ogbe Community Development Committee (UDC), Barr. Francis Obigbor said the more than 5000 litres water project which was expected to serve a radius of about 7.5 kilometres was a disaster waiting to happen as the contractor did a shoddy job.
He disclosed that the community had earlier raised an alarm informing the Delta State government and Agip Oil Company that the project was a disaster to waiting to happen.
He stated that the joy of the people of the community was that at the time of taking journalists round the project site, there has been no casualty apart from perimeter fence of building around the project site which was destroyed.
Barrister Obigbor urged Agip to ensure that the project is well executed stating that the water project was the right of the community as contained in the memorandum of understanding between the community and the oil company.
He reiterated that it was important for oil companies and government agencies to award contracts to only competent contractors who are capable of executing projects which will stand the test of time.
Also speaking, Chief Ifeanyi Edeme decried situation where Agip allowed the contractor to continue the job without proper monitoring observing that it was obvious to any discerning mind that the project was badly executed, disclosing that the project collapsed the first day the water tank was filled with water.
A Youth Leader in the community, Mr Azuka Odanike said members of the CDC prevailed on them not to violently stop the construction work when they noticed that it was been executed with substandard material, while Mr Desmond Inyang, Manager of Ferdikat Nigeria Limited (a Petrol Station which was affected by the collapse of the water tank) called on Agip to re-erect the perimeter fence destroyed by the fallen tank.
