The Delta State Government has taken disciplinary action against two serving engineers, Engr. Gabriel Evuarhere and Engr. Samuel Nwokolobia, for issuing certificates of job completion on road projects that were yet to be completed. The engineers were demoted from their respective positions, with Evuarhere moving from Deputy Director to Assistant Director and Nwokolobia from Assistant Director to Chief Engineer.
The demotion was a result of a disciplinary committee’s findings, which stated that the engineers were culpable of corruption, dishonesty, and failure to adhere to laid-down procedures. The committee’s decision was conveyed in two separate letters, signed by William O. Ogolokpe for the Head of Service.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had previously warned that there would be no sacred cows in the quest to ensure quality project delivery and value for money for Deltans. He appealed to the disciplinary committee to temper justice with mercy, commuting the sentence from outright dismissal to reduction in rank. However, he also warned that subsequent offenders would face the full wrath of the law.
This development comes after Governor Oborevwori introduced a whistle-blowing scheme to check poor project delivery in the state. He encouraged Deltans to report any cases of corruption or poor workmanship, promising that such reports would be treated in confidence.
