By Aniekan Udofia
With less than a month to the inauguration of a fresh term of office for the Governor of Akwa Ibom State Mr Udom Emmanuel, the state Ministry of Works has intensified work on roads project under construction across the state.
The Commissioner for Works Mr Ephraim Inyang-Eyen led a team from the Ministry to inspect ongoing work in three sites across the state.
At the Eket Remodelling project the Commissioner supervised the demolition of structures on the right of way that compensation had been paid. For those compensation were yet to be paid Mr Inyang-Eyen took out time to appeal to them that once they receive payment of compensation they should quit the buildings on time to allow the contractor work.
The Works Commissioner told them that the Governor has given an order for the road to be completed on time to give a Eket city a new look. He added that government is sincere to it intention to urbanized Eket.
On a particular structure that had ownership tussle , Mr Inyang-Eyen mandated one of the elders of the community to help resolve it as the cheque for their compensation was ready, pending when the rightful owner is established.
The Ministry of Works team moved to the Osiok road project that traverses Eket and Esit Eket Local Government Areas where work has reached advanced stage. The Commissioner assured that the road will be completed soon to boost economic activities in the communities around it.
The 14.1km Ikpe Ikot Nkon –Obotme – Arochukwu road in Ini Local Government Area was the next port of call for the Works team. The bridge linking the road is nearing completion. The Works Commissioner along with his team walked on the bridge with just a small portion left to link it. Mr Inyang-Eyen said that the bridge would have been completed but for some little detail outside the work that would be sorted out. He assured that the project if not completed before 29 May 2019, will be completed before the state anniversary on 23 September 2019. The road will link Akwa Ibom and Abia States and would make using the Victor Attah Airport in Akwa Ibom more accessible to the people of Abia State than another.
A community member Elder Sunday Ekpeyong Udofia expressed the joy of the people for the road. He said that government has taken away their pains of several years. He prayed God to continue to bless the administration.
On the number of roads to be inaugurated before 29 May 2019, the Commissioner said it would be too early to tell as he has already taken delivery of 22 direct labour intervention roads out of the 47 the state government had embarked on and believes he would take more before the inauguration of the second term of this administration.
He reiterated government’s commitment to changing the face of infrastructure in the state and said Governor Udom will leave the state better than it met it infrastructure wise.
