Engr Dr Benjamin Nnamdi Ekwueme holds Ph.D in civil engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka after B.Eng and M Eng degrees, all in civil engineering from Federal University of Technology Owerri. He is a licensed chattered professional civil engineer by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers. He is a member of several International Association of Civil Engineers and has published many civil engineering research articles in international journals.
The astute Engineer has worked extensively in both government and corporate organizations administering Engineering practice spanning over 20 years. He has worked as the Honorable Commissioner for Works of Imo State, the Honorable Commissioner of Public Utilities and Rural Development in Imo State and Special Adviser on Projects Monitoring, Federal House of Representatives Abuja. He was at a time the Special Adviser to the Imo State Governor on Projects Monitoring and Implementation. He has chaired at various times the Imo Royal Oaks Refinery Project and the Oguta Wonderlake Construction Project design works. He was the Sole Administrator of Orsu Local Government Council in 2003. He has worked as an external examiner, in the Faculty of Engineering to the Federal Polytechnics. He is currently an Engineering Consultant and the Deputy Director GUConsult of Gregory University Uturu, Nigeria.
He is highly skilled in Road Construction works and supervision of multiple projects simultaneously. He is knowledgeable in engineering best practices and international donor agencies systems and requirements for infrastructural development in the country. He is currently a consultant and researches on hydrology and hydraulics. Presently he is working on Climate Change and Flood Modeling.
In this interview with our reporter, the austute Engineer made clarifications on some road projects in the state and other related issues. He also offered advice on how government can achieve roads and other infrastructures that can stand test of time. Excerpts.
Sir, how will you access the level of infrastructural development in the state especially since you left office?
I can’t really say but I know that when we were there, we had a masterplan and the governor at that time His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha specifically wanted the best of the infrastructure in Imo State.
Are you saying that Imolites would have seen far more than what is on the ground now in terms of infrastructure if you and Ihedioha’s administration had remain?
Yes. They would have had the best. In the seven months we held sway in Imo State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha was very straight with what he wanted to do. He articulated everything that would uplift the state of infrastructure in Imo but unfortunately that administration was cut short. If it had continued till date, may be, a whole lot of infrastructural development would have been seen. And most especially some of the signature projects that he initiated would have been completed by now.
Sir what was the condition of that road leading to the Teaching Hospital, Orlu before you left office because there is a controversy over its initiation and completion?
I do remember that road perfectly. That road is the access road from Owerri/Orlu road that leads straight to the Teaching Hospital. So we called it IMSUTH Approach Road. The Orlu Teaching Hospital was completely cut off from the Owerri-Orlu entrances. It is about 2.05 kilometer in length. And during the time of our administration, Governor Emeka Ihedioha awarded the road in October 2019 and flagged it off to commensurate the 100 days in office of his administration. After due processes, the contract was awarded to Triansel Engineering Ltd in the amount of Three Hundred and Ninety Six Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and fifty Naira (N396, 453, 750. 00). The Governor Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha approved and paid the Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) and that APG saw the road go through a considerable construction milestone. From study, the challenge of the road was topographical . The design must take care of the ground level, the flood drains and the flood discharge point since there was no surface water flow or river close by. So what we did was to raise the road a little bit up so that it can be above the mean level of the ground. And the new construction saw us doing both side drainage system. We did about four kilometer drain and also designed a silting basin. I mean a basin where we can direct all the floods so that within time, they can dry up or get down to sub surface. It was the understanding and the promise of the Ministry of Works to get that road delivered within one year of the administration. Governor Emeka Ihedioha would have commissioned it in his first year lf has remained in office. So if anybody is claiming that they awarded the road and all that, even from the records at the Ministry of Works, that will be very wrong. This is because since it was awarded to Triansel Engineering Ltd, I didn’t know or hear of any termination of the contract. That means they didn’t re-award it to any other contractor. It is that same Triansel company which started it, completed it. I guess that the people or the Ministry must have seen that the contractor was doing good work for them to be allowed to complete it.
And not just this IMSUTH road. A whole lot of other roads too that were awarded by His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha also reached some levels of completions before the exit of the administration. I remember the Egbeada road. It was awarded by Ihedioha to IDC Engineering. That is the interconnection road from the Onitsha/Owerri road, to the flyover at Amakohia. Again, there was a big challenge there. For all that knows that road, there used to be a huge dangerous gully development before Gov Ihedioha’s administration recovered and reconstructed the road. Gov Ihedioha saved the Egbeada Housing Estate, the Graceland Estate, etc and till date that road has remained very strong, solid and functional. There is also the Akachi road. The one linking Aba/Owerri road to Wetheral road. Ihedioha awarded it to Shanids Ltd. The road is strong and currently very functional. It was also part of the roads that His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha’s administration did within that period.
Some other roads were nearing completion by the time the administration left. I remember the state of Assumpta roundabout to Warehouse junction. A short road but cutting across the Nworie river. Gov Ihedioha fully completed and rehabilitated it, laced it with stone pitch against imminent erosion and flooding. The contract was awarded to N12 Engineering Ltd by Ihedioha.Till date no sign of failure. Gov Ihedioha reconstructed the 3-cell boxes of Emmanuel college to Aba road before mechanic village junction. He saved the Douglas road extention through Owerri road bridge. Today that box culvert (some people call it bridge) has an extension that solved the traffic grid and treat of collapse. China Harbour Engineering Ltd contracted by Ihedioha did it.
From what you have said, the present government should give credit to Ihedioha’s that actually initiated and awarded those roads?
Of course, especially on these roads that I have mentioned. They should also give some credit to Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s administration for not just awarding them but to have seen them reach some measurable milestone or completion levels by the time they left office. In road infrastructure, first is to have the initiative, second is to go through the design, third is to go through the award process and these takes time to do. And then, you will begin monitoring and making sure that the roads were done according to the specification and that payments were made relatively. If you are talking about giving credit to initiated road projects, then Gov Ihedioha will have inexhaustible accolade. Ohii to Orogwe road is an example. Gov Ihedioha initiated the 4.2km road and paid the APG, to serve as a cut off from Orlu Owerri axis to Onitsha Owerri intersection. It was awarded to Cossel Construction Co.
Sir, presently Imolites still experience immense flooding especially within the Owerri metropolis after heavy rains. Would your administration had addresse the problem if it had remained in office till date?
Yes I believe that if the Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha’s administration has been on till now, most of the flood issue would have been sorted out because not only that that administration engaged consultants, they also got in professional bodies like the Nigeria Society of Engineers. They are part and parcel of the group who studied the Owerri masterplan designed by Fingerhut and Partners. They looked at all the manholes, the chambers and everything. The administration had commenced the disilting of some of them including the ones at Okigwe Road roundabout, the one at Wetheral road by MCC and that at Amakohia. So I do believe that if that administration has remained till date, the issue of flooding would have been over. Nobody would have been talking about it today because it was an aggressive type of approach where the governor did so much to bring in capable hands to help him address many challenges and infrastructural issues in the State.
Are you concerned that during the Ihedioha’s administration, the Nigerian Society of Engineers did recommend the demolition of some ill-constructed projects done by the previous administrations. For instance, the both flyovers at Orji and Amakohia because of the risk they pose to the users but up till now, the structures remained and are even been used despite the caution?
Yes, some of those projects then were tested for integrity and the results wasn’t encouraging. I remembered that the Nigerian Society of Engineers came in and National building and Construction Standards Agency also got involved by Gov Ihedioha to conduct integrity test of the flyovers and other infrastructure done by the previous regime. Most failed the test and they recommended outright demolition. The report and the study is with the Ministry of Works. I am sure that the present government, if they are interested in the safety of the users of those structures, can refer to report as was submitted and documented in the Ministry and to know exactly what to do next. But I will tell you that if the administration of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has remained till date, a different approach would have been seen on part of those structures that we believe are not safe for Imo people.
As an experienced and professional engineer, how best do you think state government, not just Imo could be able achieve quality roads and other infrastructures?
From the professional point of view especially in the road construction, I am always of the opinion that roads need to be tackled from first instance. Which means you have to solidify the base first. You have to make sure that the construction is done in such a way that the road will be so strong that it can withstand its design capacity. You know in road construction, what we are trying to do is not to allow water get into the sub base because if that happens, the road will fail within short perod of time. So whatever anybody is doing, the design should be focused in such a way that you have to strengthen the underground. By underground, I mean things you don’t see. You know, when you get to a road and you see a road ashphalted and marked, to you the road has been done but in engineering and from the professional point of view, that is not the road. The road is what happened under that asphalt. Sometimes I use to tell them in my professional view that asphalt overlay is not a stabilisation layer. At best, it is just a structural layer. It is not the primary focus of the road construction. I recall that some years back we design single coat roads and it stands very solid for more than 20 years. Road construction requires constant monitoring, if not, sharp practices can come up and prevent you from having a quality and standard finish. The drains must flow. A lot of people just do drains that do not flow. Yes, there is drainage system but does it flow? And where does it discharges to? So you need to see that a lot of works are done to make sure that the drain so constructed needs to flow and when it is flowing, where are you taking the water to? That is very important. Because water will find its own level if you don’t create a path for it or show it a way it can use. That is purely my engineering point of view.
Finally sir, as a concerned citizen, what do you expect from Imolites regarding 2023 general elections?
I will advise that the people have to study the present administrations across the country. They have to also look at what is going on in the country and make informed decision with their votes. This coming election is a golden opportunity for them to do things right. The people should be able to think about their future, think about their children children’s future and the legacy they are leaving. For me, Nigerians particularly Imolites have already married two wives, so they should know which one is better and deserves their mandate. They should be able to distinguish between people who did’t prepare themselves for leadership but blatantly just want power. They should vote people who have training with deep understanding of administration and management of human and capital resources to achieve objectives for the general good of the people. They should check track records and antecedents of candidates, they want to vote for. I advise that our collective goal will be to elect tested and trusted credible individuals to lead us in 2023 in all electoral positions. That is my advice.