By Our Reporter
Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) Hon. Solomon Golley has said that those speculating on Social Media that he allegedly condemned the ongoing state government internal roads in Ikpide-Irri community in Isoko South, where mischief makers who are determined to cause confusion in the state for their pecuniary benefits.
Golley in a telephone chat with our reporter said that the only problem with the Ikpide-Irri road was the length of the drainage which was never the fault of the contractor but on the project design which the government is taking appropriate steps to address.
While noting that the state government would never support substandard jobs under any guise, the commissioner however carpeted journalists and other social media users who takes to the pages of Newspapers and social media platforms to make insinuations that don’t not exist. He reiterated the need for media practitioners to be unbiased in reporting issues relating to government business.
“What you just read to me purportedly written by that journalist (name withheld) was never from me. How could I in good conscience made statements that seem to implicate the government I am serving? The only truth there is that I actually had a conversation with him. I challenge him to release the transcript of our conversation if he has it.
“I only appealed to him to take the issue off the social media. How can you be writing on social media what can be corrected amicably?
“I argued that the length of the drainage was not long enough and this is no fault of the contractor. I have written to them to see what we can all do to address it. The government will do their part and the contractor will equally do its part. Every other correction is minor which is normal with projects of this magnitude. No sane person can outrightly condemn this job as substandard.
“What he wrote was completely trash, especially the last paragraph. I was only telling him, if the issue is something that can be resolved, what’s the essence of going to the media”, he said.
The Ikpide-Irri road was awarded by the state government to an indigenous construction giant, Portplus LTD, in 2018. The job has since been a subject of media controversy until August this year when the entire community organised a solidarity match to applaud the quality of the road as well as thank the Governor, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa for giving them such a huge project, as well as their son, High Chief (Elder) Immanuel Emoefe for attracting development to the community.
