House Tasks Ministry of Works on Urgent Completion of Deplorable Ogbaru Road

•To probe indiscriminate issuance of certificate of no objection by BPP

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives yesterday mandated the Federal Ministry of Works and the House Committee on Appropriation to include the completion of Onitsha-Atani-Ossomalla-Ogwuikpele-Ndoni Road project, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra state in the 2024 appropriation bill.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the grueling experience of the people on that singular dilapidated road that connects the local government to the rest of the state moved by Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, at plenary yesterday.

The House also mandated the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to provide palliative measures on the road in the interim, to ease transportation.

Ogene, while presenting the motion said the badly flood-ravaged Ogbaru road was also the shortest route to get into Rivers State from Anambra. Noting that the Onitsha-Atani-Ossomalla-Ogwuikpele-Ndoni Road, was the only road that connects the 15 communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area/Federal Constituency of Anambra state to the rest of the state, and is the shortest route to   Rivers State from Anambra.

“The road is in deplorable condition, making commuting a grueling experience, which is made worse by the yearly flood disaster in the area. The people in Ogbaru Local Government Area/Federal Constituency, who are predominantly farmers, find it extremely difficult to transport their produce to different markets via the dilapidated road, thus impacting their contribution to the nation’s food security.

“This important road has become tortuous and treacherous to road users, leading to loss of lives, valuable farm produce, properties and man hours,” he added.

The House further urged the Federal Ministry of Works and the House Appropriation Committee, to include completion of the Onitsha-Atani-Ossomalla-Ogwuikpele-Ndoni Road Project in the 2024 appropriation budget estimates.

The lawmakers consequently urged the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to in the meantime,  provide palliative measures on the road to ease transportation thereon and further mandated its Committee on Works and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to ensure compliance.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday resolved to Investigate the indiscriminate issuance of “Certificate of No Objection” by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and non-compliance with mandatory post-procurement audit.

The House also mandated the Committee on Public Procurement to investigate the allegation and report back within six weeks for further legislative action and also to consider the bi-annual reports submitted in the last six years and make their findings known to the public.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on the indiscriminate issuance of “Certificate of No Objection” by the BPP and non-compliance with mandatory post-procurement audit moved by Hon. Peter Akpanke, at plenary yesterday.

Akpanke, noted that by the Provisions of the Sections 6(1)(c) and 16(1)(b) of the Public Procurement Act 2007, the BPP was authorised to issue a certificate of no objection to contracts awarded by relevant procurement entity.

“The powers vested in the Bureau of Public Procurement are aimed at ensuring that the letters and spirit of the Public Procurement Act are complied with. This is to ensure the government gets value for money and contracts awarded are within relevant thresholds backed by budgetary allocation.

“The Bureau of Public Procurement has failed to comply with the mandatory post–procurement audit as required by Section 5(p) of the Public Procurement Act 2007. The Bureau has consistently engaged in under-hand dealings in the grant of “certificate of no objection” thus abusing the power to make pecuniary gains and increasing incidences of abandoned and failed projects across the country.”