… As EDPA meets with contractors on Phase 2 Project
By Oboh Sylvester
The Managing Director of Edo Development and Property Agency (EDPA), Mr. John Zedomi, has assured that the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, will actualize his vision for the Emotan Gardens Estate.
Zedomi gave the assurance during a Strategic Sensitization and Advanced Planning Meeting with contractors in the Emotan Gardens Estate Phase 2, in Benin City, the State capital.
According to Mr. Zedomi, “We are about to commence the Emotan Gardens Phase 2 and our Principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki is keenly interested in ensuring that Emotan Gardens Estate is completed before he leaves office in November 2024.
“The Governor is a man of very high standards. He believes in due diligence and competent capacity to deliver. He likes the complement of proficient human and technical capacity for standard products as well as keeping to scheduled periods.”
He urged the contractors, whom he described as partners to deliver quality work, adding, “Emotan Gardens is an estate that is supposed to have about 1,400 housing units and if you look at what has been done, and look at what time the Governor has left to achieve that dream, it is a very short time.
“In a nutshell, we have a race against time here. When we successfully complete these 140 housing units in the next few months, we will be moving on to 400 units. So this project has to be delivered as at when we envisaged it would be delivered by God’s grace. To this end, we are going to do more just to ensure that the development that will come out is in alignment with what the vision of Emotan Gardens originally was.”
Continuing, Mr. Zedomi said: “We want everyone to understand that this project is being driven by the Edo State Government. The project is a development by EDPA on behalf of the Edo State Government. It is a project we intend to deliver at a price-point that is most affordable in the market in the face of the high cost of building materials and everything that we see in our environment today.
“Some of the contractors seated here today have expressed their capacity during the development of the 68 units we have built and delivered. Emotan Gardens Estate is just one and there are other locations.”
The EDPA boss further said: “We believe that if you could be this faithful in little, then much more can be given to you. You have justified your keep, based on your delivery of the project. It means that you should just continue to be ongoing partners because we expect the best from you and we will do our best to ensure that whatever we agree is what we will also do in return.
“The Management of EDPA here keeps its words. If we say move to the site and you deliver, especially in the next six months to two years, by God’s Grace we will keep our word and promise.”
Also speaking at the Strategic meeting, the Executive Director, Arc. Bose Idegbesor, explained that the project is expected to commence in October this year and emphasized the need for contractors to be registered as required by extant rules.
She stressed that the State government wants construction activities to continue to stimulate the economy of the State and assured contractors of availability of the necessary technical support in the area of site layout, mapping of plots, substructure, super-structure amongst others.
Idegbesor advised the contractors to professionally seek consultations where necessary to avoid wastage that would hamper aesthetic beauty and seamless quality of finishing.
Commenting on behalf of the contractors, Engr. Isaiah M. Jacob; Patrick Achebo and Sato Albert Ogbeide, expressed their readiness to be part of the success of the project.
They sought clarifications on security of the site, host community relations with EDPA as well as the source and availability of necessary materials for the Emotan Gardens Estate Phase 2 project.
Also present at the meeting was the EDPA Quantity Surveyor, Mr. Patrick Zegar.
