By Esseh Ikora, Uyo
Akwa Ibom state government has cleared the air surrounding the controversy trailing the Ikot-Ekpene road dualization project, insisting that the project remains the focus of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s led administration.
Our correspondent in Uyo recalled that former Governor Godswill Akpabio (now Senate Minority leader), had accused the state governor of abandoning the Ikot-Ekpene road project which he started and threatened to withdraw his support for his second term bid.
But the state Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen,who spoke on behalf of Governor on a live radio programme monitored in Uyo, the state capital said the state government has not abandoned the road.
He disclosed that the contracting firm handling the project, Julius Berger has always been paid as the project advances.
He noted that “The snag there is that the money allocated for payment of compensation for property owners on that road has long been exhausted and many buildings are still standing on the way awaiting compensation. The money was exhausted before the coming of this administration”.
On whether the money was misappropriated, the commissioner said “I didn’t say stolen, if compensation was paid for those property by the Godswill Akpabio led administration and the structures are still standing and the property owners are still demanding for compensation, it means something was wrong.
“So this administration has the responsibility to now create means of raising more funds to pay the remaining of property owners. It took a while because you cannot review a project based on compensation.
Inyang said Governor Udom’s administration is ready to review a project based on compensation, adding that the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene high way, has nothing to do with the issues of construction but compensation.
According to him, “we now have money for the contract but there is no money for compensation. Go from kilometer 22 to 25 where you have Four Point by Sheraton Hotel, it is congested with houses and we will still need about N4 to N5 Billion to pay out for compensation. In the Bill made available to us, there was no such money.
“You cannot make request for any money for compensation. That was what was causing the delay in the completion of the road and not that Governor Emmanuel will want to abandon a road project which so much of money have been spent on and which will open up the state to neighboring states.
