Low quality market stalls built by fed agency become dilapidated after eight months

Some traders and residents of a community in Akwa Ibom State have decried the poor quality of the work done in the 30 market stalls rehabilitated in the community by the federal agency.

The stalls are located in Abiakpo Nkap community in Obot Akara Local Government Area of ​​the state.

The rehabilitation was facilitated by the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West District, Christopher Ekpenyongand the contract is awarded by Nigerian Building and Roads Research Institute (NBRRI) for Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limited.

The rehabilitation work that started in October 2021 will be completed in April 2022, according to the residents.

But the stall wall had cracks, while the roof had holes and the cement floor was broken in December 2022, when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited the market.

On the roof most of the stalls shook with the light wind and looked as if they could easily be thrown away.

The concrete pillars of all the stalls seem to be inadequate, causing concern among the residents.

Mr. Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom, is from the community, and the weekly market that serves over 8,000 people is less than 100 meters from his house.

Residents and traders who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES attributed the poor condition of the stalls to substandard materials used for rehabilitation. They request the replacement of roofing sheeting with new ones.

There are two water holes at a distance of about 50 meters in the market – one is solar powered and functional, while the other, a sanitary facility, is awarded by Federal Department of Water Resources done without water tank and standing. Sanitation facilities must have water tanks, according to the project description.

The water project is also poorly executed.

‘I don’t come to the market when it rains’

Christopher Johnson, a shoemaker in his 30s, said that rainwater from a leaking roof used to pool in his stall when it rained, making it impossible for him to do business.

Mr. Johnson said he paid N6,000 a year for the stall.

“Look at the roof, you will see (the hole). If it rains, the cafe is like outside,” he said.

“I don’t come to the market when it rains because there is no place to stay. Everywhere will be flooded. Earlier this month, the wind will remove many roofs,” he said.

“The rain had removed the roof sheet before, but I paid for it to be replaced. Look at the roof, you will see where I replaced the old roof sheet,” said Mr. Johnson, pointing his finger to the place where some were replaced.

He said the market is always a mess when it rains, and appealed to the government to replace the quality roof sheets to save people from further suffering.

The market is managed by the local government council which provides shops for interested members of the community.

Apart from collecting rent from traders, the council also charges N200 ticket for each market day, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The Chairman of the Market Management Committee, Gordian Mark, confirmed to our reporter that traders lost goods due to flooding due to leaking roofs.

“We only feel this market in the dry season. If it rains, it’s something else. Roof sheets on the roof like cocoa leaves. We have changed some,” said Mr Mark.

“Before the market stalls were built, the shops were covered with better roofs, but it got worse after they were built.

“If you check the shop floor, you will see evidence of serious leaks and flooding.”

Mr. Mark said Senator Ekpenyong should have ensured that the contractor did a good job in the cafe.

The contractor reacted

The former youth president of the community, Moses Akpan, told PREMIUM TIMES that the contractor threatened to ask soldiers to arrest youths of the community when they protested the quality of materials used for the stalls while the project was underway.

Mr. Akpan said the architect designed the project, supervised it and also provided some of the materials used.

The architect, Godwin James, refused to comment on the matter when PREMIUM TIMES reporters contacted him.

Mr. Akpan further told our reporter after the senator gave the community N600, 000 before the commencement of the project that he rarely visits the project even though it is close to his home.

Andrew Kure was named as the project engineer for the stall rehabilitation. He declined to comment on the project when reporters contacted him.

The facilitator of the project, Senator Ekpenyong, when contacted, referred our reporter to the NBRRI for the market project and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for the two water projects, the agency that awarded the contract.

The senator said he was not a contractor, and did not prepare a bill of quantities for the project. He said he was just facilitating the project.

An official of NBRRI, Uchenna Akabike, when contacted requested that the details of the project be sent to him so that he could forward it to the appropriate officials to respond to the agency.

However, he did not respond again days after PREMIUM TIMES sent him details of the project.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for comment.