A group under the umbrella of Kor patriotic Front has condemned the two year’s achievements of Sir John Damap, the council chairman of Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State who lied and claimed to have renovated Kor Bridge.
The group in a statement co-signed by its convener and the secretary, Prince Rotdunna Sekat, Mr Kitgak Bala said John is a cereal liar as nothing of such has ever done to the community of Kor.
The statement in full read:
“The attention of Kor Patriotic Front has been drawn to a malicious news report circulating on social media, especially WhatsApp, Facebook and by Walinronnewsfeed which is handled by Bitrus Mangut, the information officer of Pankshin Local Government Council, that renovation of Kor Bridge is among the project executed by Sir John Damp led administration in Pankshin and is being included as his achievements.
“We the Kor Patriotic Front will like to let the cat out of the bag, let the whole world know the truth.
“Sometimes last year, during 2019 raining season, Kor Bridge was partially washed away by overflowing water, the Kor Development Association (KODA) led by the President, Nde Thomas Yilji and his officials met the Councilor representing Belning Ward, Hon Dunka Hosea and inform him of the grave danger post by the collapsing bridge, and intimated him on the need for Pankshin Local Government to intervene immediately, the Honourable Council did not waste any time, he reported the matter to the Executive Chairman and immediately the Chairman move to Kor with the Councilor, KODA officials and others, the secretary of Ngolong Kor, Nde Stephen Sekat was called upon to be part of a team to ascertain the damage of the bridge, after seeing the damage done to the bridge, Hon. Damp ask the councillor of the Ward to inform Kor Community to write a letter to the council through the councillor for funds to be made available and for work to start on the Bridge immediately as that is the only Bridge linking Kor, Benning Ward Headquarters with Belning Central, Benning South and Pankshin Town.
“Having written the letter requesting the immediate help and intervention from Pankshin Local Government, it was agreed that Kor Development Association (KODA) will be given the work and funds be released to them, Kor community brought a contractor of high repute Engr. Emmanuel Yilkwalba who have been in the business of construction ? for yes in Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, and many other places to value the damage done to the Bridge and cost it.
“After accessing the Bridge, he reported back to KODA that the bridge needs to re-enforce and expand and that it will cost 1.2million.
“Kor Community wrote to the Local Government through the Councillor representing Belning Ward, Hon. Dunka Hosea, the Councillor was up and doing and the contract was approved but the cost reduced to 1 million, Kor Community and their Contractor were anxiously waiting for contract mobilisation money to be released to them for work to start but were told that Hon. Philip Dasun Peter, the House member, representing Pankshin North at the state assembly intimated Hon. John Damp to kindly give the construction of the Kor Bridge to his uncle, Mr James Dasun, Prince Sekat who is the son of the soil having heard about the moves, put a call to Mr Chairman and beg him to allow Kor Community to handle the contract themselves and having agreed to Prince Sekat on phone, the Chairman secretly awarded the contract to Mr James Dasun who is not a construction expert but because he received an order from above as claimed, Mr James Dasun started the workaround November 2019 without buying anything apart from 10 bags of cement, no rots, the stones he used to patch the Bridge is in abundance in Kor, there is no need of buying building sand because it is very much available under the Bridge.
“The Kor Bridge was not re-enforced or expand as plan but patched with stonework as if it is a crack building or a soaked away.
“To worse it, the very Bridge claimed to be renovated have since developed the worse problem than before as the original plan of reinforcement and expansion was not done on the Bridge.
The contractor was at the bridge recently to patch the other side of the bridge which falls not too long ago.
“We want to call on Sir John Damap led administration in Pankshin Local Government to remove Kor Bridge among his achievements as the bridge is yet to be renovated even though money meant for the renovation have been released and shared
“The Kor Patriotic Front calls on Sir John Damap to as a matter of urgency arrest the contractor and the supervising unit of the Council to return the money approved for the renovation of Kor Bridge to be rewarded to a competent contractor for posterity to be fair to him.”
When contacted by our correspondent Mr John said it is a serious accusation for his people to call him a liar because can’t do that for whatever reason.
He however revealed that the bridge is among all the projects the department of works in his council earmarked for renovation but he can’t explain what went wrong.
He assured of getting back to our reporter detail of what went wrong but he his confidence that the people of Kor are wrong to have labelled him a liar over what is sure of.
