In putting paid to speculations of friction between the Akwa Ibom State Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the State Commissioner for Works, Akparawa Ephraim Inyang, has said sincere collaboration will enable the agency’s intervention to add real value to development and governance in the state.
Interacting with journalists in Uyo, Akparawa Inyang said the State Government is committed to collaborating with any agency to improve infrastructure within the state, adding “We are today to dispel that is almost gaining momentum in town recently that the Akwa Ibom State Government is against intervention or road construction by NDDC. What we have asked NDDC has been for them to tell us the jobs they have done so that we don’t repeat them to avoid overlap. But first, Akwa Ibom State Government, through the Ministry of Works, has a long list of 58 direct labour jobs that are ongoing. These jobs cut across the three senatorial districts but majorly in Uyo.”
He maintained that the expected collaboration would enable the State Government to determine where intervention is needed to avoid overlapping of projects.
The Works Commissioner specifically stressed the need for Management of the NDDC to collaborate with the State Government especially now that the drafting of the 2018 Budget is near, to ascertain what the Commission intends to do in the state within the 2018 fiscal year to avoid further duplications.
He explained by saying, “I don’t think there is a war or any problem between the Akwa Ibom and the NDDC. The demand the Akwa Ibom State Government are making to NDDC is a very simple demand. Now Akwa Ibom State Government is at home and you are coming to help us. Is there anything wrong in knowing what you want to help us do so that we can flow together? What is the difficulty in letting us know the projects you have for Akwa Ibom in 2017 or in 2018, so that while the Akwa Ibom State Government is budgeting we can keep those projects already budgeted for by NDDC out of our own budget, so that there will be no overlap?”
According to Akparawa Inyang, such sincere collaboration would enable the state to plan its development in line with what is expected from NDDC and also called for the completion of the over 500 abandoned roads by the commission to add value to the state.
In his words: “The Akwa Ibom State Government is not against any interventionist agency but they must give us value for our money. Akwa Ibom State has over 3,218 projects in need of construction and intervention. We could give 200 to the NDDC and also try to battle with 200. The Governor is smart enough not to drive away those who are coming to help improve our infrastructure. Governor Udom Emmanuel is irrevocably committed to developing the state through infrastructure. When you politicize development, the people suffer for it.”
“So, what we are asking for is not war as has been misrepresented, we are saying let us know the projects you have for Akwa Ibom in advance so that there will be no overlap. Anybody saying that Akwa Ibom State Government is quarreling with NDDC is a lie. It is not true. It is total falsehood. There is absolutely no war between the state government and NDDC. It is a misunderstanding of the fact that we want to reconcile our project lists,” he maintained.
On the allegation that the State Government was preventing development within Uyo Capital City, Akparawa Inyang presented a list of 58 ongoing roads projects out of which about 40 were within the Uyo Capital City and handled by the State Government through direct labour intervention.
“It is not possible for the State Government to sit in Uyo and refuse to develop Uyo. The only thing we do not do is to erect sign posts on every little project we do. I am going to direct a supervising engineers to raise signposts,” he emphasized.
The Works Commissioner, who also announced the flag-off of 29Km Nduetong-Ibiaku-Mbiaya-Uruan Road that links Obong Itam Road and Its environs with a 40M span Bridge scheduled to take place on Wednesday October 18th, 2017, assured the people of the state that the Uyo – kot Ekpene Road dualization was on the final asphalting with a stretch of 15Km.
Akparawa Inyang disclosed that his Ministry has been mobilized to pay compensation for the yet to be compensated area of the road, saying “the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene Road cannot be abandoned. It is a major gateway to the state. The final asphalting of the first 15km is ongoing. The Ministry of Works has just received some funds to pay compensation.”
