Expect More Road Inauguration In May – A’Ibom Govt
To keep people of the State at pace with government developmental efforts, especially in connection with ongoing road projects, the Akwa Ibom State Government has emphasised that it is as focused and determined as ever to ensuring that it drives the Completion Agenda to a logical conclusion. It therefore told the people to expect inauguration of more roads come May 2020.
Giving highlights on government’s increased efforts to accelerate the pace of projects and encourage the people to continue to keep faith with the Gov. Udom Emmanuel second term promises, the Commissioner for Works, Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-eyen, during an explosive interview on Planet 101. 1 FM Radio tagged “Governor Udom Beyond Politics” on Tuesday, said, government’s blueprint for development remains intact and everything was being done within available resources to ensure no section of the state was left untouched.
RELATED: Thanks to Gov. Emmanuel for Providing Atan Offot with Good Roads
The Commissioner, who also used the occasion to thank Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians on behalf of the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, for the love and condolences expressed during the burial of the governor’s father, reasoned that the state government has been systematic and generous in the distribution of physical projects across the state with focus on quality delivery and durability.
Mr. Inyang-eyen who equally commended Akwa Ibom people for their support and understanding towards the state government and encouraged them to continue doing so even more, assured the people that Gov. Emmanuel was fully committed to interpreting his blueprint into concrete reality.
According to the Works’ boss, whereas complaints over certain challenges were natural and in some instances justifiable, especially in areas where road constructions are ongoing, he however called on the people to exercise patience and trust in government’s ability to deliver on promises. “We are aware of most of these issues. But government is being careful so that certain things will not be done too much in a hurry without proper attention to details. Soon and progressively, the challenges will be handled”.
RELATED: A’Ibom Works Commissioner Debunks Alleged Poor Construction of State Roads
Responding to some listeners who phoned into the programme and raised concerns on the matter of compensation to property owners, the Commissioner reiterated for the umpteenth time that the state government cannot, and has never, and will never pull down any structure upon which due compensation as agreed upon by government – approved consultant-valuer has not been paid to owners of such structures.
“I have said this several times on many platforms. The state government cannot and has never demolished any structures that due compensation had not been paid. It is not my responsibility to value the property; it is the work of the consultant and valuer; I do not meddle into it. But as soon as I have been fully briefed and convinced, what we do is give those affected some period of grace for relocation before we can go on demolition. That is the policy and directive of Gov. Udom Emmanuel”, Mr. Inyang-eyen disclosed.
The Commissioner went further to explain the rationale for the generous patronage of indigenous contractors by the State Government for road projects, saying that they have all been tested fit in line with international best practices, because civil engineering operates on global principles.
He maintained that works so far handled by the local contractors like Hensek, Nsik, Benest and those handling direct labour duties have been proven excellent. “With the proper machinery, expertise and integrity, local contractors can perform as good as their foreign counterparts and that will checkmate capital flight and the multiplier effect will help in developing our people”, he argued.
As a word of advice, Mr. Inyang-eyen cautioned the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta, Sen. Ita Enang, to endeavour to be realistic, factual and frank to Akwa Ibom people in his situation reports on the Calabar-Itu Road and other matters affecting the state. He said it was disturbing the way the former Senator keeps mixing up issues and confusing even the Federal Government on the state of the road and other affairs in the state.
It would be recalled that the serial lawmaker has been generally criticized for playing parochial personal politics with the road by giving conflicting situation reports, figures of monies and degree of Federal Government’s interest on the road. At a point, Sen. Ita Enang had said that work on the road had been awarded to Julius Berger and was ongoing. In another instance, he said the Federal Government was working out modalities to capture the road in the national budget.
The most recent perhaps was when he said in January 2020 that he will ensure the road is captured in the Federal Government’s SUKUK policy and that the Akwa Ibom State government should reinvest on the Calabar-Itu Road refunds it received from the Federal Government for constructing federal roads.
Categorically, Mr Inyang-eyen said as important as the Calabar-Itu Road is to the socio-economic narrative of the country and the two sister states of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, it was wrong for the Senator to indulge in misinforming the people and for the Federal Government to keep making songs out of this one road with nothing really happening, while those with less attention were being constructed and delivered.
In the final words of the Commissioner during the programme where Akwa Ibomites at home and overseas phoned in to appreciate the governor, “It is better if we work together as one; appreciate the efforts of His Excellency and join in moving Akwa State forward because Governor Udom Emmanuel will not disappoint us.”
