By Chioma Onuegbu Uyo

Some cabinet members of the governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State have given an account of their performance in office since May 29, 2023 the current administration had been in the saddle.

  Recall that Governor Eno had in the month of September, during the routine media briefing to mark the 2024 state’s creation anniversary requested that henceforth his cabinet members should constantly brief the citizens on what they are doing in their respective Ministries and Agencies.

  He had also mandated that the Commissioner for Information Mr Ini Ememobong and his chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Ekerete Udoh should coordinate the regular briefings.

   He had said ,”All I want to see is each time we approve contracts, the Commissioner for Works and Fire service take on a press briefing. You sit with the Commissioner for Information and let people know clearly the contracts that the EXCO has approved.

   “And the press briefing that the CPS holds you also need to invite some Commissioners to come and talk about some of the issues that our people need to know. And please send them(Commissioners) notice ahead of time so that they get prepared”

  In compliance with the governor’s request the Commissioner for Works and fire service, Professor Eno Ibanga, and Chairman Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA) Prince Ikim rendered their accounts of stewardship during a media briefing penultimate Sunday.

The joint media briefing/interactions was held at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State council, Uyo, and coordinated by the Commissioner for Information Mr Ini Ememobong.

 During his presentation, Professor Eno Ibanga highlighted both ongoing and completed Roads and other infrastructural projects, which he had categorised under the INHERITED and the New or ARISE agenda projects.

  Interestingly, he also separated the amounts expended on the sets of projects for the purpose of clarity; and to demonstrate accountability and transparency.

 While providing update on the inherited projects, he had stated, “Governor Umo Eno has so far injected N47.93 Billion into Thirty-Six (36) of the inherited FGPC projects and N4.04 Billion into Fifty-One (51) of the Emergency intervention Projects inherited from the immediate past administration. A total of 51.96 Billion has been spent in this category”

   Ibanga also stated that the Governor has initiated sixty-one (61) ARISE Agenda projects including the Akpan Andem Market Amphitheatre Christmas Village Arena: Atiku Abubakar underground tunnel and Goretti secondary school road.

    “These projects have already been completed and commissioned while others are at various stages of completion. N151.66 Billion has been released by this administration to finance Fifty (50) of the FGPC ARISE Agenda Projects while N4.54Bn Naira has been spent on the Eleven (11) Emergency Intervention ARISE Agenda Projects.

   “In all, a total of N156.20 Billion has been spent on the ARISE Agenda Projects. For both the initiated and inherited projects, this administration has spent an accumulative sum of N208.16 Billion as at October 18th 2024”, he had disclosed

 The Commissioner response to questions regarding the delay in the completion of some major ongoing/ recently awarded Road projects especially the Tabernacle Road and the Ikpa Road during his presentation was  reassuring.

 “The greater part of the work needed for the swift completion of the Tabernacle road has been the excavation which from professional advice from certified civil Engineers should go at least 11 meters deep.

” This of course is a very deep excavation work which unfortunately was slowed down by perennial rainfall and the absence of the the normal August break which we have experienced in Akwa Ibom State this year.

  “The reality remains that if the contractors had ignored the rains and continued with the excavation, there is a tendency of accidents or poor project delivery. However, we understand the challenges faced by commuters in seeking for alternative routes as a result of this construction.

 “Unfortunately, against Government directive, Heavy Duty trucks refused to ply the approved diverted routes for instead they joined other lighter vehicles to use these intra-city roads thereby exerting incalculably harmful pressure on these roads. 

“It is cogent to explain that these intra-city routes were not meant for constant use by these heavy duty trucks. Intra-city Roads like Ikpa Road and Uyo Village road have been badly affected.

 “However, this administration, being a responsive one, has immediately swung into action with the immediate award of contract for the construction of Uyo village Road and Ikpa Road stretching up to Udoette Street” Ibanga had stated.

  He further reassured that noticeable potholes on intracity roads have already received government’s attention as the Governor had directed his Ministry to engage two contractors, in addition to AKROIMA, to undertake maintenance and remedial works on intracity roads stressing, “They are only waiting for the rains to stop, before work commences”.

He had maintained that his Ministry is set to swing into action and exert the needed pressure on contractors handling road projects to complete them within scheduled timelines as the rainy season ends.

  Notwithstanding the reassuring explanations, some AkwaIbomites who had joined the media briefing via online had urged government to expedite action on the completion of the roads due to the untold suffering the residents and commuters are currently facing.

  Meanwhile, the state governor, Pastor Umo Eno last week flagged off the inauguration of some strategic road projects, comprising those inherited from previous administration and the ones initiated under his administration.

 The roads include the  6.97km Ukpana – Akpabom – Ikwe road with 30m span bridge in ONNA and Mkpat Enin LGA, the  2.45km internal roads at Block G, Anua Ifa Ikot Okpon Housing Estate, Uyo, the 10.519km Mkpat Enin-Ikot Ubo-Ikot Ntot-Nkikara Road in Mkpat Enin/Ikot Abasi LGA, 3.6km Ikot Obio Offong-Nung Ukana (Spur I to Ikot Obio Odongo) to mention a few.

 On his part,  the Chairman of AKSEPWMA Prince Ikim dwelt on things his agency is presently doing, particularly the deployment of men from Ibom Community Watch, (ICW) a state security outfit to  enforce Environmental Laws beginning from Friday, November 1, 2024 and Creation of new dump sites within the Uyo capital city(UCC).

Prince Ikim had disclosed that construction of the new dump sites numbering three would be executed in partnership with the AMITECH construction firm and the State Ministry of Lands.

  His words , “We are trying to securitize environmental issues. His Excellency the governor has also approved the deployment of one hundred (100) men from the Ibom Community Watch (ICW)  to Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA).

 .”They have undergone three months retraining on basic intelligence requirements and enforcement of environmental laws, ensuring they are fit in character and equipped to do the job without misconducts

“From November 1, 2024, residents will see officers strategically stationed along major routes and locations within the Uyo metropolis to ensure compliance with environmental regulations”

He therefore urged the residents to support and cooperate with the environmental law enforcers as they commence duties, saying, “It is a collective responsibility of all of us and government to ensure that our State is always clean; we have to ensure we contribute to keep our environment clean and protect our health”

On the construction of new dump sites he had  explained, “What that means is that the Uyo village Road will no longer House the dump site and the Uyo capital city will no longer have one dump site, but three. We have demarcated Uyo capital city into three zones. In Uyo Capital City we have Uyo, Itu , Ibiono Ibom, Uruan local government areas”