The Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Investigative Council has issued a statement regarding allegations of substandard construction on the Abariba-Ohafia to Ndi Okorie Road in the Abia North Senatorial District, Abia State.
This statement, signed by the council’s convener, Comrade Nelson Ossaieze, was provided to news reporters on Tuesday, following an investigation prompted by an online protest from Tochukwu Ogbuagu, a local resident and social media influencer associated with Kepukepu TV.
Ogbuagu accused Swiber Africa Limited, the contractor responsible for the road construction, of delivering inferior work, particularly on the extended section. His video evidence, which highlighted poor construction practices and the deteriorating condition of the road, attracted substantial public attention, leading the CSO Investigative Council to conduct an independent assessment.
According to the CSO Investigative Council, the initial project involved the construction of a 600-metre stretch of road, funded with a budget of ₦250 million. This project was financed as a constituency initiative by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and included both road construction and the installation of two side drains. The council confirmed that this initial phase was completed to specifications and in compliance with the outlined bill of quantities, with no major issues reported regarding the original 600-metre stretch.
Following the completion of this phase, local community leaders petitioned Senator Kalu for an extension of the road by an additional 400 metres. In response to this request, Senator Kalu reportedly allocated an extra ₦52 million directly to Swiber Africa Limited for the extension. The council highlighted that the controversy primarily concerns this extended portion of the road, which has raised significant concerns regarding construction quality.
The council also noted that while the original 600 metres were constructed to the required standards, the 400-metre extension displayed signs of premature wear and tear. Issues such as insufficient road layering and drainage problems led to rapid deterioration of the newly constructed stretch. Local residents reported observations of water pooling and visible cracks, which corroborated the findings of the investigation.
In its statement, the CSO Investigative Council emphasised that the deficiencies were primarily associated with the extension, which was managed and funded separately by Senator Kalu, and was not under the original contract overseen by the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, responsible for the initial project. The council confirmed that the college had no oversight role in the extension works, thereby relieving it of any culpability regarding the alleged deficiencies.
Nevertheless, the council urged Swiber Africa Limited to rectify the substandard work on the extended section, recommending immediate remediation efforts, including resurfacing the road, reinforcing its layers, and enhancing the drainage system to align with engineering specifications.
The council stressed the importance of thorough investigations before publicising such issues and called on Senator Kalu to collaborate with the contractor to address the problems associated with the extension, ensuring that its quality meets the standards of the original project.
Furthermore, the council commended the Federal Cooperative College Oji River for its commitment to transparency and accountability in public infrastructure projects. They advocated for increased support for independent oversight and called for more robust monitoring mechanisms in future constituency projects to prevent similar issues from arising.
Finally, the council affirmed that while the original project met expectations, the extension funded by Senator Kalu requires urgent review, and they appealed to the Senator to address this matter promptly.
