WORK has resumed at Ofagbe section of the 24 kilometer Isoko ring road, as the Special Adviser (SPAD) to the Governor on Project Monitoring/Audit, Engr. (Dr. ) Goodnews Agbi, brokered peace between the contractor and Ofagbe community.
A peace accord was reached in a meeting held at the Directorate of Project Monitoring/Audit, Asaba between Ofagbe community, the client (Ministry of Highways and Urban roads) and the contractor, Dora Dan Global Resources.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting which lasted several hours, Agbi, affirmed that “the purpose of the meeting is to reconcile the contractor and the host community and we arrived at the conclusion that the community will support the contractor”, he stated.
“Again, the community will work with the contractor in the area of security to ensure that there are no hitches”.
He assured that the “contractor is on the same page as the Directorate and the Ofagbe community.
The Managing Director of Dora Dan Global Resources, also affirmed the resolution of the peace meeting, promising to return to site in ensuring the completion of the 24 kilometer reconstruction of Ellu/Ovrode/Ofagbe/Orie-Irri/Okpe-Isoko/Uro-Irri/Ada-Irri, Isoko ring road in Isoko North and South Local Government Areas of the state. “We have agreed to move to site and complete the job and henceforth, will be dealing with the community’s representative on security, labour and any other issues, not individual families”.
“It was a good one”, he said, referring to the peace meeting. “We thank God for this meeting, at least we now know that by the time we resume at the site, the community will give us their full support to enable us to operate, so am really pleased.”
President General, soko Development Union, (IDU), the umbrella body of the Isoko people, Prof. Chris Akpotu, who hail from Ofagbe community expressed happiness, saying, “Thank God for this meeting, basically it was targeted towards ensuring the contractor gets back to site to handle what he has in his hands on behalf of Isoko nation”.
Present at the stakeholders meeting were Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Okoro, Chairman, Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, Mrs. P.E Esejor, Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Project Monitoring, Engr. Jeke Cyril, President General, Ofagbe community, Engr. Evurahere, Deputy Director, Ministry of Works (Highway and Urban Roads), Engr. Oghale Efe-Aluta, Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the Governor on project monitoring/audit, Pastor Kenneth Otuya, among others.
