Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has vowed to complete all major infrastructural projects in the state before leaving office, even as he promised to complete for public use, the Ikot Oku Ikono flyover by May, a move he believes, will grant a more stress free access to the state capital, from neighbouring local government areas.
The Governor who gave the assurance while inspecting the pace of work at the project site on Wednesday, assured of timely completion of the project by the contractor.
This is part of the numerous developmental projects that are billed for completion in 2021, few weeks after the Governor announced the injection of a N50 billion stimulus into the state’s economy to ensure that works at project sites across the state are on towards completing same for public use.
Governor Emmanuel while inspecting the progress of work expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on the ongoing Ikot Oku Ikono flyover project, as the contractor affirms her commitment to complete the project in May.
He said the level of work at the site has beaten the insinuations by critics suggesting abandonment, despite constraints posed by the COVID lockdown on project execution in 2020.
“What I’m seeing is completely different from the complains I’m hearing. Look at the length of the road, the size, the quality, I don’t know how people expect this to be completed overnight, looking at what happened last year in terms of COVID, so many construction companies had to close own for a long period of time. Right now, seeing the extent of work done, if Julius Berger commits to finishing in May, I’m so sure they will finish in April because they always give themselves a buffer”.
Governor Emmanuel vouched for the quality of the job and said that the bridge, when completed with all its adjourning structures, will be the longest in the state, calling on the people of the state to appreciate the concept, quality and sincerity of purpose brought to bare in the project.
He however decried paucity of funds and lack of support from national agencies in the infrastructural development of the state. “We’ve not seen anything from the organs that should be expected to come to our aid so we have to squeeze water out of the rock to make sure we give ourselves infrastructural development,” the Governor stated.
Speaking on behalf of the contracting firm, the Regional Manager of Julius Berger PLC, Mr. Juergen Fischer, affirmed that the company and the state government were in good working relationship in terms of contract agreements and assured that the flyover bridge will be completed in May 2021, while all adjourning structures, including roundabouts, access roads and service lanes will be completed in August.
