Mixed reaction as heavy rain washes away drainage built by Soludo
The collapse of a drainage channel being built by Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo is currently generating mixed reaction.
The drainage, located at Niger Street in Onitsha, reportedly collapsed on Thursday evening, due to the flood from heavy rainfall.
In the video of the collapsed drainage circulating on social media, the individual in the video said: “Look at the kind of road that Soludo is building for us, just one rainfall in Onitsha, and the road has been washed off, while the drainage collapsed.
“It is this same Soludo that wrote a very long letter against Peter Obi, saying he will not keep quiet while history beckons. Is this how he will turn Anambra into Dubai Taiwan? Just see, the road is just red earth, no cement at all.”
Other residents of the state also made derogatory remarks about the road and the accompanying drainage.
But some people have also defended the governor on the project, insisting that the rains came down unannounced on the same date that the work was done.
Nkemjika Nwanolue said: “The contractor is still on-site, and no one has declared that project completed. The concrete cast takes a minimum of seven days to cure and about 21 days to fully stabilise.
“That very gutter on Niger Street had neither cured nor stabilised before the rains of that very day, and anyone who knows Onitsha knows the volume of flood that greets every rainfall. The contractor, even from that very video recording, is still very much on site.
“Dubai, as it is today, did not happen in 13 months (Soludo has spent 13 months in office) and certainly not with the kind of bitter soul that made that video. Soludo is very much on course and will never be distracted by the tantrums of politically bitter people.”
Chidiebele Obika, an appointee of the state government told newsmen that Anambra State Commissioner for Works has visited the site.
He said: “Anambra State Commissioner for Works, Engineer Ifeanyi Okeoma, a team of engineers from the Ministry and TEC Engineering officials are here at Niger Street, Fegge, Onitsha, to inspect the level of work on the stretch and witness first-hand the effects of yesterday’s heavy downpour on the road.
“Contrary to the amateur clip that went viral earlier today, nothing much happened; I can confirm that the construction company handling the project is on site working on the stretch.”
