By Daniel Maduka
South East youths under the aegis of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders COSEYL has threatened to embark on a million man protest march across the region’s major cities should the Chinese construction giants China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. CCECC fails to mobilize back to site within the next three days to complete the laying of tracks on the Aba/ PortHarourt rail network
COSEYL’s ultimatum is coming on the heels of a statement a few days ago credited to Mr Fidet Okhiria a Director with the Nigerian Railway Corporation NRC, wherein he claimed that the track laying of the about 64 kilometers rail line has been completed.
The South East body ,which spoke through its President General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem in a statement issued on Thursday January 11 2023,in Aba accused the Chinese firm of delivering a sub standard job ,which has resulted in the obstruction of a free flow of traffic in the commercial hub of Abia State, adding that the construction firm should as a matter of urgency go back to site to complete the job ,or risk facing the wrath of youths from the region.
” For the avoidance of doubt, the PortHarcourt/Aba rail line has not been fully and satisfactorily completed. The claim to the contrary by the contractor, should be ignored.
“Apart from not being completed ,the job was executed with complete disregard for even the minimum required standard.
“A close observation of the project by even lay men will easily expose the gross sub standard nature of the job purportedly delivered by a supposedly multi national construction out fit.
“The CCECC deployed sub standard materials in executing the job. Besides,the rail line steels are inferior and not straight, a situation that has the high potentials of derailing trains at will.
“In all ,we reject in totality the job claimed to have been delivered,and demand the immediate return to site by the construction firm.
But if after three days our demands are not met ,we will proceed on massive protest march which will only be called off after the revocation of contracts awarded to CCECC in the South East region of the country.
The Source News Magazine reports that in recent times, motorists and other road users in Aba have been subjected to harrowing experiences, resulting from the serious traffic grid lock occasioned by the evidently poor laying of the tracks across adjourning roads.
The gruelling situation has even forced series of visitations to the construction site by the Mayors of Aba North and Aba South Chief Sir JC Udeagbala and Chief Uche Wogu respectively.
