Calabar-Itu Federal Road: We will commission parts before Buhari leaves office ― Ita Ennang

The former Special Assistant to the president on Niger Delta Affairs, and the legacy project team and project initiator of the Calabar-Itu Federal Road, Ita Enang, has assured that parts of the Calaba-Itu federal road under dualisation and rehabilitation by the Federal Government shall be commissioned before the exit of the Buhari led Federal Government administration.

Ita, who made the remarks at the on-the-spot assessment and site inspection on the road project, expressed optimism that the speed and quality of work on the ground are satisfactory.

“The cost implication of the entire project is N185 Billion. The part allotted to Sematech Construction Company is N79 Billion, while that of Julius Julius Berger is N54 Billion and the part awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. (CCECC) is 50.2 Billion; totalling N185 Billion.

“Each of the companies has its completing periods because they weren’t signed at the same time. But the Sematech company has promised to deliver ahead of time; and specifically on specifications.”

Ita however didn’t mention a specific timeline of delivery for the project, he explained that “A great parts of it would be completed by the terminal date of this (Buhari’s Government), and we expect t his Excellency Mr President will commission parts of the road and bridges fully completed.

“I am impressed with what has been done so far and other companies have challenges of funding; the Julius Berger parts of the project are funded by Sukuk Fund, other windows funding these projects are Federal Ministry of Works budget, loans through the Sukuk fund, and then the Critical Infrastructure Fund of NNPC Tax Credit of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). Please we haven’t abandoned this project,” Ita said.

One of the site engineers from Sematech Construction Company, Chibuzor Iheanachor, gave some analysis of the project sites: “This place is the Okpokom Bridge, on this stretch we have done sand filling on both sides of the road, and the earthwork formation level, the essence is to prepare it for the dry season.

“We have 4 bridges on the site; 3 in Cross River exist and 1 at the Akwa Ibom Axis of the road. at the bridge on the Akwa Ibom axis, we have done and finished the piles, and even the Okpokam Bridge too in Cross River.

“We also have a total of 45 culverts on the Cross River axis of which about 25 culverts have been done, while, we have 1 on the Akwa Ibom axis and is completed. We at Sematech are contracted a coverage area of 11 kilometres stretch of the road between Cross River and the Akwa Ibom States, out of the entire 28.6 kilometres of the road project,” he said.

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE