By PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –
Former Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang has expressed optimism that the dualization of the Oku-Iboku road between Cross River and Akwa-Ibom State will be completed.
Senator Enang gave the assurance over the weekend during an on the spot assessment of the Cross River State and Akwa Ibom axis of the ongoing critical road infrastructure funded by NNPC through tax credit by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
The former lawmaker, however, described as untrue that the road will be abandoned the federal government.
He said: “As I speak to you, Mr President will commission some sections of the road, before the end of this administration, each of them had their completion period because they were not awarded the same day”.
“I am impressed of what is done, some companies had challenges of funding but through tax credit by the FMWH/ NNPC/FIRS, we want to show what the APC Federal Government is doing in Nigeria”
On the cost implications of the entire projects spanning between Cross River and Akwa-Ibom State, Enang said one hundred and eighty five billion (N185 billion) is the total cost of the projects.
He noted that Sermatec Nig Ltd, one of the contracting firms got N79billion while Julius Berger got N54 billion, and CCECC was also awarded a contract to the tune of N50.2billion bringing a total of #185 billion.
Enang who is the initiator of the dualization of Oku-Iboku power plant road, Cross River and Akwa-Ibom State, said the projects had 45 culverts, 4 bridges.
Also speaking, the site Engineer of Sermatec Nig Ltd, Iheanacho Chibuzo, who accompanied the former Senator during the inspections, disclosed that 44 culverts were being constructed on Cross River axis while one was for Akwa Ibom axis.
He said work on Okpokom bridge had reached advance stage while work on the entire stretch of the road is in progress.
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