By Onyebuchi Ememanka
Tragedy was averted yesterday in Aba when an overhead tank erected by Hon. Prestige Ossy of the House of Representatives collapsed destroying the entire facility.
Hon. Prestige represents Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency.
The water project at Ovom Street, Ogbor Hill in the Aba North LGA, is a flagship constituency project erected by the federal lawmaker some months ago which was celebrated with pomp and pageantry.
Luckily, no lives were lost as members of the public had since shunned the facility on account of clear signs of collapse.
Eye witnesses there say that the collapse was as a result of substandard materials used in erecting the facility in addition to poor supervision.
Responding, the Chairman of Aba North LGA, Prince Ogbonna decried the habit of using inferior materials to handle public projects and implored politicians not to put the lives of the people at risk by executing poorly planned projects.
It will be recalled that sometimes last year, Hon Prestige announced that he had attracted the reconstruction of Garden Avenue off Okigwe road. A contractor was mobilized and the work commenced but the quality of job done was so poor that the asphalt applied on the road was washed away by the first two rains that followed. Today, Garden Avenue is looking worse than it was even before the so called intervention.
Again, Hon. Prestige had launched his FREE SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM for primary and secondary school students in Aba. He procured two abnormally gigantic buses for the program. However, the buses are hardly seen on the roads. Indeed, they are usually seen like twice or thrice in a month. They have found a home along Park Road Aba where they lie comatose most times with their tyres always removed. Almost on a daily basis, mechanics are found under the buses along Park Road working and sweating profusely.
The challenge, according to a mechanic who once worked on the buses is the inability to source the spare parts of the vehicles anywhere.
According to the man, the buses were acquired from a junk yard somewhere in Europe where they park abandoned and outdated vehicles. Currently, that model had long been phased out by the manufacturer making it impossible to find the parts.
Checks reveal that such brand of buses were last seen in Eastern Europe in the 1970s when they were used to convey mine workers to and from their work places far from human habitation.
The people of Aba are wondering why Hon. Prestige never embarks on any project that will stand the test of time. As the most prominent APGA man in government, the people wonder if this is what the party would have given to the people of Abia State if per adventure, power had slipped into their hands.
Meanwhile, all attempts to reach the APGA Spokesman, Ferdinand Ekeoma to get their reaction didn’t succeed as all his four mobile phones are all switched off.
We will keep monitoring him. They must provide an explanation for this.
Luckily, no lives were lost as members of the public had since shunned the facility on account of clear signs of collapse.
Eye witnesses there say that the collapse was as a result of substandard materials used in erecting the facility in addition to poor supervision.
Responding, the Chairman of Aba North LGA, Prince Ogbonna decried the habit of using inferior materials to handle public projects and implored politicians not to put the lives of the people at risk by executing poorly planned projects.
It will be recalled that sometimes last year, Hon Prestige announced that he had attracted the reconstruction of Garden Avenue off Okigwe road. A contractor was mobilized and the work commenced but the quality of job done was so poor that the asphalt applied on the road was washed away by the first two rains that followed. Today, Garden Avenue is looking worse than it was even before the so called intervention.
Again, Hon. Prestige had launched his FREE SCHOOL BUS PROGRAM for primary and secondary school students in Aba. He procured two abnormally gigantic buses for the program. However, the buses are hardly seen on the roads. Indeed, they are usually seen like twice or thrice in a month. They have found a home along Park Road Aba where they lie comatose most times with their tyres always removed. Almost on a daily basis, mechanics are found under the buses along Park Road working and sweating profusely.
The challenge, according to a mechanic who once worked on the buses is the inability to source the spare parts of the vehicles anywhere.
According to the man, the buses were acquired from a junk yard somewhere in Europe where they park abandoned and outdated vehicles. Currently, that model had long been phased out by the manufacturer making it impossible to find the parts.
Checks reveal that such brand of buses were last seen in Eastern Europe in the 1970s when they were used to convey mine workers to and from their work places far from human habitation.
The people of Aba are wondering why Hon. Prestige never embarks on any project that will stand the test of time. As the most prominent APGA man in government, the people wonder if this is what the party would have given to the people of Abia State if per adventure, power had slipped into their hands.
Meanwhile, all attempts to reach the APGA Spokesman, Ferdinand Ekeoma to get their reaction didn’t succeed as all his four mobile phones are all switched off.
We will keep monitoring him. They must provide an explanation for this.