By Chioma Onuegbu

EKET—RESIDENTS of Afaha Atai community in Eket local government area, Akwa Ibom State have decried the deplorable state of the Ikot Ibiok road and pleaded with the state government to come to their aid.

Beginning of Ikot Ibiok road flooded and overtaken by weeds

Some of the villagers who spoke with Niger Delta Voice said the road had caused them untold suffering over the years.

They noted with sadness that their hope of having the road constructed was dashed when the contractor abandoned it sometime last May.

A youth of the area, who simply identified himself as Akaninyere said: “People living along this road are suffering. Cars cannot enter this road due to flooding, so we are calling on government to come and help us. Those living along this road are more disturbed now that the rainy season has returned.”

Also speaking, an indigene of the area, Uduak said: “While we are appealing for help, we don’t want the same contractor handling the road project to return again. You can see the poor work they did here in the name of constructing a drain. You can see that the gully has started encroaching on people’s homes due to the poor drainage system, so we don’t need the contractor again. We need an experienced contractor to handle this road because of the topography of the area.”

Chairman Afaha Atai village council, Mr. Samuel Udobong condemned the poor drainage constructed by the company adding that it was unfair for the contractor to have done such a poor job.

He said the community had initially protested against the one-side drainage because of the volume of water on the road during the rainy season.

“The initial design of that road was a two-side drainage but I understand the NDDC have not paid them any mobilization to continue the road project. This is just the beginning of the rains and the road is already a mess such that people who own cars in the area now park their cars at the Qua Iboe Church premises along the main road. You can only see motorcycles plying that road.

“The Ikot Ibiok group of village road has been abandoned for so many years and past administrations have been so insensitive to the plight of the people over that road despite several appeals. And the hope of the community that the NDDC has come to their rescue has again been dashed. All I can say is that we are not happy with the situation, our people are suffering because of the bad road,”he explained

In his remarks, the former Chairman of the Afaha Atai village council, Chief Sam Etti, also expressed concern that the situation had deteriorated with the return of the rainy season.

“The road has gone from bad to worse since the contractor abandoned it last year. You cannot imagine what those people are passing through. As a community leader I was told that the contractor has not received any payment to enable it complete the project. So I am appealing that the required funds should be released to the company so that they can complete that road,” he said.

Work not abandoned

Contacted, the Community Liaison Officer, Chief Friday Ndioho, described as unnecessary, calls for change of the contractor blaming the delay in completion of the road on a change of national leadership of NDDC.

This, according to him, made it impossible for funds to be released for the completion of the projects started by the past administration.

He said: “The road has not been abandoned. The contractor is waiting for funds to continue from where it stopped. I spoke with the Director of Projects of the construction company recently and he said that once he receives money he would return to site to complete the work.

“The way it works is that you are awarded a contract and no money is given to you until you got to a milestone and where we are now we have actually gotten to that expected milestone. We are now expecting money to be able to continue. I have briefed the community on this so the community is aware that the contractor has not been given any money for the job it has done so far. But I want to assure them that the road will be completed, it has not been abandoned.”