Top 10 failed roads abandoned by Governor Udom-led administration
Under Governor Udom Emmanuel’s watch, critics say Akwa Ibon State, that used to be a reference point in quality project execution and delivery, “has come to be known for failed and abandoned projects”.
“Five years and six months down the line, the government has been fumbling and wobbling from one failed and abandoned project to another. Nobody can point at any major project successfully done by this administration,” one critic, Iniobong John, observed.
This is particularly more obvious is area of road construction. It is estimated that more than 250 projects, mostly roads, have been abandoned and forgotten by the present government since 2015. Although Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration can boast of 1700 km of roads many believe the record is a mere audio inventory given the magnitude of failed and abandoned road projects littering the state even in Uyo, the state capital.
In this series, Morenews.ng brings you top 20 failed and abandoned road projects in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration.
Ibom Super Highway
Ibom Super Highway is one of the popular road projects allegedly abandoned by the present administration amidst protests and confusions.
Initiated by Governor Udom Emmanuel, the 55.1 km superhighway with three spurs, spanned through at least six local government areas, including, Eket, Ibeno, Esit Eket, Urue Offong Oruko and Mbo.
The project was awarded to Ebla Construction Limited under Public-Private Partnership ( PPP) arrangement but the vendor reportedly abandoned the site after spending N700 million without the state government providing its contributory counterpart funds. The road that was flagged off in 2017, had been abandoned since 2018, after a paltry 15 out of 55.1 kilometers of the road had been done.
In July this year, angry youths in six local government areas hosting the road threatened to blockade the 55.1 km Superhighway to protest its abandonment and subsequently forced the state government to resume work on the project.
But the then Commissioner for Works, Akparawa Ephraim Inyangeyen blamed the delay in the completion of the 12-lane Ibom Super Highway on the Federal government after it failed to approve the construction of Ibom Deep Seaport for the state, according to the The Guardian.
“The Ibom Super Highway project did not stop in 2018. The funding of the project stopped in 2019. It was when we observed the reluctance of the Federal Government to give us the necessary approval for Ibom Deep Seaport we decided to slow down.
“The state government believed it was more critical for us to persuade the Federal Government and get approval for the construction of the deep seaport first. This is because if we don’t build the deep seaport the 55.1 kilometre Super Highway is not economically viable to sustain.
“But it is only when the seaport approval is in our hands that we can be sure of doing the road. So our concentration now is on how to get all the approvals promised by the Federal government. If the deep seaport is not there, we don’t need the road.
“The reason for initiating the 12-lane Super Highway is primarily for us to create access to the deep seaport, and the Ibom Industrial city and avert congestion. It is not meant for general purpose. So the story that the Super Highway has been abandoned is not correct.
“And we have not changed the Elba Construction Company that is handling the road. I have told the contractor to be patient, that the moment we get approval for the deep seaport he will return to site. In fact Government is even owing him,” he said.
Etebi Enwang bridge
Etebi Enwang bridge, which was part of Etebi Enwang Road, is another significant project tactical abandoned by the present administration alongside the road.
The 1.12km bridge was initiated by former Governor Godswill Akpabio to link oil-rich riverine local government of Mbo and Esit Eket.
It was inherited by Governor Udom Emmanuel at the start of his administration in 2015 at less than 40 percent completion rate with a promised to complete the bridge before the end of 2018 in view of the economic importance of the bridge but 13 years after it was awarded, the project remained abandoned after swallowing over N19.4 billion.
“This project used to engage about 500 workers but you can see that nobody is even on site today although work takes place once in a while.” The daily Post quoted a source as saying few months ago.
Today, 30 months to the aspiration of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration, there is no indication that the project would be completed before the end of the present administration.
Indigenes of the area have continued ruse the abandonment of the project in the area and subsequent hardships occasioned by it despite the fact that the present Secretary to the State Government, Dr Joseph Ekuwem is from the area.
Dr Ekuwem had once received lashes from Godswill Akpabio for daring to draw attention to abandonment of the project during Akpabio’s day.
Ekuwem had questioned the capacity of the contractor to deliver the Etebi-Enwang Road and bridge during a Town Hall Meeting but Chief Akpabio dismissed the observation, telling Dr. Ekuwem that he (Akpabio) was not the one who asked Ekuwem come from difficult terrain.
Today, with Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem at the corridor of power, Etebi-Enwang Road and bridge remain abandoned as no contractor is able to handle it.
As a traditional ruler in the area, Chief Effiong Asuquo Efai, observed:
“They keep engaging contractors who would end up abandoning the project. Between 2007 and now, three different contractors have been engaged and they all end up abandoning it without any tangible impact. The first was Sineong Nigeria Ltd, where I worked as a security officer.
“When they abandoned the work, the government engaged another one called Bulletin and now Amitec Construction and Development Company is the third and has equally abandoned site.”
So the words of Akpabio is true: The problem of Etebi-Enwang Road and bridge is the difficult terrain, not the contractor, not even government of the day.
Obio Etoi Road
Obio Etoi Road project by Godswill Akpabio International stadium, is one of the numerous road projects abandoned and forgotten by Governor Udom’s government. The road had been abandoned since 2016. One broadcaster, Tony Saviour, even recommended that the contractor handling the road project “should be castrated for bringing pain and sorrow to the inhabitants of Obio Etoi Community”.
This is the current state of Stadium Avenue and Akpadiaha Street, all in Eket.
They were among the few road that brought hope to the people of Eket but was purportedly abandoned by Governor Udom Emmanuel’s government.
To be continued….