Fear grips Shoprite mgt as Ugwuanyi frowns at poor drainage system

By Francis Igata

ENUGU—Fears have gripped the management of Shoprite, a multi-billion Naira shopping mall, following Tuesday’s visit of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State where he discovered a substandard work done by the expatriate firm in its bid to channel the waste from its industrial activities to the Enugu State College of Education Technical, ESCET.

Vanguard gathered that the drainage channel reportedly constructed without the approval of relevant authorities have exposed residents and passers -by an inimical odour that poses a pronounced health challenge.

Governor Ugwuanyi expressed dissatisfaction during the inspection of government work inside ESCET, whose premises was deviously polluted by the waste.

The state government had earlier directed the management of the shopping mall to construct a suitable drainage system, but regretted that it did a shoddy work not minding its earlier warning.

The governor was briefed on the state of affairs of the facility by the institution’s director of works who told him that the management of the company had not done the proper execution of the work to end the risk users of the area pass through as a result of the pollution.

Speaking to newsmen at the site of the drainage system, the director of works of the college, Engr. Rufus Chime, noted that he had earlier informed the Shoprite management that the drainage constructed was unacceptable to the institution.

“We are not going to accept this because it is not what we agreed on”ESCET Works Director said.

According to Chime, “the whole drainage has to be covered. The poor construction was done during the yuletide when I was not present. I would again meet with the management for the proper reconstruction of the drainage to forestall pollution of the institution’s premises.”