The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), has described all the bridges, flyovers and roads, constructed in Imo State by Rochas Okorocha since 2011, as death traps. Their observation has however vindicated the belief in several quarters that what Okorocha has wasted money to construct are “China roads”. Imo people have long accused Rochas Okorocha of building China roads but the Governor replied accusing his opponents of pouring acid on the roads leading to their early collapse.
None of the roads has survived a single rainy season without washing away. Speaking, Wednesday January 24, 2018 the COREN President Rashim Ali while on a courtesy visit to the senate stated that the council warned against construction of such poor quality projects which are more of death traps and imminent disaster, waiting to happen.
He said the council has no statutory powers to stop the construction of such infrastructure like the ones Rochas Okorocha constructed which do not have engineering designs.
The council’s delegation was received on behalf of the Senate Committee by the immediate past Senate President, Senator Brigadier, David Mark, and Senators Ibrahim Gobir and Barnabas Gemade, “Tragedy is about to happen in Imo State. Bridges are being built in Imo without design,’ it is a disaster waiting to happen,” he alerted. Going by his observation, the CORN President, Ali, appealed to the lawmakers to urgently pass an amendment to the establishment Act of COREN, so as to empower the Council to issue and enforce a “stop work order on infrastructure that are being constructed without approved designs”. Okorocha has always taken the standard due process for granted thus jettisoning the engineers.
He added that registered members of the council have been known to abide by regulations, and have therefore not been involved in cases of construction collapse, as frequently experienced with most projects executed in Imo State.
David Mark, in his response, lamented that any construction work can be carried out without designs. He was bitter that a governors who prides himself as APC Progressives governors chairmen. Owelle Rochas Okorocha could be so trivial as to take the lives of his people for granted.
“Somebody is building bridges without designs. This is very unfortunate; I wish COREN has the authority to stop it because the consequence of .this will be much. We shouldn’t wait until when things go wrong,” Mark said. He gave the assurance that the Senate would support any amendments that would assist in safety of lives.
