AKSG SPENDS N51.96 Billion ON INHERITED PROJECTS
… Announces House To House Waste Evacuation Service In Major Estates
By Udeme Hosea
In its bid to ensure inherited FGPC projects from the immediate past administration are completed, the Akwa Ibom State Government has injected N51.96 Billion for the completion and emergency intervention of inherited Projects.
The Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof Eno Ibanga, made this known yesterday, during a press conference to update on road projects and infrastructural expansion investment of the state government from May 2023 to October 2024 at the NUJ press center, Uyo.
L-R, Prince Akpan Ikim, Professor Eno Ibanga, comrade Ini Ememobong, Comrade Amos Etuk at the briefing.
Prof. Ibanga hinted that, the present administration under the leadership of by Pastor Umo Eno has initiated not fewer than 61 Arise Agenda projects with N151.66 Billion and N4.54 Billion Naira on 11 Emergency Intervention of ARISE Agenda Projects making a total of N156.20 Billion, highlighted Akpan Andem market, Amphitheatre Christmas Village Arena, Atiku Abubakar underground tunnel and Goretti secondary school road as projects that has been completed and commissioned, while other projects are at various stages of completion.
Professor Eno Ibanga, Commissioner for Works and Fire Service
“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 N4.54 Billion 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″.
The Works commissioner, while appealing to Akwa Ibomites to bear with the state government on the slow pace of projects due to perennial rainfall and absence of the usual August break , said, he understand the challenges faced by the commuters in seeking alternative routes as a result of construction, especially around the tabernacle road, assured of delivery by January 2025.
” Tabernacle road, 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 usual 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”.
Meanwhile, Obong (Dr.) Prince Ikim, Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency ( AKSEPWMA) , has reaffirmed his agency’s commitment to keep the state clean, urged residents to contribute by keeping their surroundings clean.
Prince Akpan Ikim, Chairman AKSEPWMA
Ikim, announced that the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has approved the acquisition of new waste management equipments which include, five swing arm garbage trucks, waste compactor trucks, and fifty 6,000-liter dumpsters for deployment in high-volume waste areas across the state for effective service delivery.
Ikim, added that, the agency also had approvals for upgrade in the waste management sector including, the relocation of the present dumpsite at Uyo Village Road for construction, availability of waste compactor trucks at Ewet Housing, Shelter Afrique, 100 Units, and Akwaima Estate for house-to-house waste evacuation effective from November , construction of sewage facility, launching of sanitation clubs in schools, collaboration with donor agencies to improve waste management in the state and the ongoing training of 100 personnel from Ibom Community Watch (ICW), as environmental marshals to enforce environmental laws.
“In constructing that road, we as an Agency must decommission the present dumpsite in Uyo Village Road. We have also had a meeting with Amitec Construction Company and the Commissioner for Lands who has also identified three locations in Uyo Capital City for a dumpsite.”
He appealed to residents of Ewet Housing estate, Shelter Afrique estate , 100 Units, and Akwa Ima estates respectively at avail themselves of the opportunity of using waste compactor trucks to evacuate their waste.
“Please, residents of Ewet Housing and Shelter Afrique, there is no approved dumpsite which means that from 1st of November, those compacting trucks will move around, you keep your waste in front of your house and they will pick it up while you pay for the evacuation.”.
Present at the press conference were, the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, Commissioner for Works and Fire Service , Prof. Eno Ibanga, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Ekerete Udoh and Media Consultant to the Governor, Hon Aniekan Umana among others.