Good road infrastructure is critical in the socio-economic development and progress of people in any given society. It is the panacea for commercial emancipation, and generation of employment, which ultimately leads to poverty reduction and a crime-free society.
An environmental analyst posits that infrastructural development, such as roads, industries, hospitals, malls etc. should not be concentrated only in city centres, but extended to rural areas where local populations need quality roads to enhance their socio-economic activities and curtail unnecessary rural-urban migration.
It is obvious that good roads stimulate business activities and aid urbanisation because the movement of goods and services is drastically enhanced.
Visitors and the people of Akwa Ibom State have always confessed that the state is known for good and durable road networks, especially within the Uyo Metropolis.
It can be said that the commitment to building good roads has remained part of the policy thrusts of successive administrations in the state since the return of democracy in Nigeria. This is evident in the last three administrations of former governors, Architect Victor Attah, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Mr Udom Emmanuel, as they all played their roles in delivering good road infrastructure to the state.
Obong Attah, as a professional Architect drew the Architectural design of the state and to expand the city, he cited huge projects in the inter lands, far from Uyo, the capital city.
The Ibom Hotels and Gulf Resort were taken to far away Uruan, the State University, AKSU, was built in Mkpout Enin, the Airport at Oron, the long-distance motor park was sited at Itu among other projects and good roads were constructed to link those projects to the capital city, making Akwa Ibom State become almost a boundless entity.
After Governor Attah was the Uncommon Transformation era with Senator Goodwill Akpabio, now the Senate President of the Federal Republic. He built on the foundation laid by his predecessor and many more which earned him the title “uncommon transformer. Akpabio did not only construct state roads, he constructed part of Calabar/Itu/Ikot Ekpene Road, which was a federal government obligation, though part of the contract sum was refunded to the state.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel’s tenure also witnessed massive road infrastructure among other projects, he consolidated on the gains of previous administrations, and he concentrated more on building industries which also earned him the title ‘Mr. Industrialization”.
While seeking the support of the people as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, the present governor, Pastor Umo Eno promised to consolidate on the gains of previous administrations and open new grounds, 17 months after the victory at the polls, a project tour by this correspondent shows a firm commitment by his administration to complete projects he inherited as well as breaking new grounds especially in the area of road construction and maintenance.
Road infrastructure expansion and consolidation as encapsulated in the ARISE AGENDA of his administration takes cognizant of the fact that, roads have a lifespan and as it inches closer, the need for maintenance and remedial jobs becomes necessary.
This however shows noticeable potholes on the intracity roads around the state.
A recent interaction with the state commissioner of Works and Fire Service, Professor Eno Ibanga, reveals that the ministry had engaged two contractors, in addition to Akwa Ibom Road and Other Infrastructure Maintenance Agency (AKROIMA), to undertake maintenance and remedial works on intracity roads.
The commissioner, while explaining certain issues affecting ongoing road projects in the state, said his ministry is only waiting for the rains to stop so that remedial work can commence on roads that need attention.
“As the rainy seasons end, I assure you that this government through the Ministry of Works and Fire Service is set to swing into action and exert the needed pressure on contractors handling road projects to complete them within scheduled timelines.
“Armed with the perfect understanding of the centrality of road and other critical infrastructure to the actualization of the ARISE Agenda, we will continue to make strategic investments that will benefit our state development trajectory in the short, medium and long term”. The commissioner had explained.
Prof. Ibanga noted that beginning from May 29, 2023, when the present administration led by Pastor Umo Eno came into power, mileage has been covered in his attempt to expand the frontiers of infrastructure and consolidate on existing ones.
The commissioner explicitly categorised what he termed ARISE infrastructure with statistics and monitory involvement into two sets to include: funding of projects inherited from previous administrations and ARISE projects.
*Funding of Projects Inherited from Previous Administrations:
The commissioner disclosed that the administration of Pastor Umo Eno, has so far injected N47.93 Billion into Thirty-Six (36) of the inherited FGPC projects and N4.04 Billion into Fifty-One (51) of the Emergency intervention Projects inherited from the immediate past administration, saying that a total of 51.96 Billion has been spent in this category.
ARISE Projects
Prof. Ibanga explained that the administration has initiated/flagged off Sixty-One (61) Arise Agenda Projects. Some of such projects such as Akpan Andem Market, Amphitheatre Christmas Village Arena, Atiku Abubakar underground tunnel and Goretti Secondary School road have since been completed and delivered to the public.
“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 of October 18th 2024,” he stated.
One project that is giving the people a sigh of relief, is the Tabernacle Road in Itu LGA which has been overlooked by successive administrations in the state. It is also on record that the hitherto bad shape of the road has caused untold hardship, displacement, and even death of many people in that area.
Our Correspondent recalls that remedial work at Itam Market some years back had channelled heavy flooding into that area, such that fences of people’s houses were broken, household items were swept away by flood, and shops, stalls, and farms were destroyed. Households were displaced and the government of the day did nothing tangible to cushion their frustrations.
Some persons who responded on their feelings towards the intervention on the road by the present administration expressed the hope that good life will soon return to the area and appreciated the administration of Pastor Umo Eno for placing priority on the project.
Explaining the cause of the delay in completing the Tabernacle Road, the Managing Director/CEO, NSIK Engineering Company, Engr, Nsikak Johnny, said that the greater part of the work needed for the completion of the road has been the excavation which professionally, should go at least 11 meters deep and unfortunately the work is being slowed down by perennial rainfall and the absence of the the usual August break in Akwa Ibom this year.
“The reality remains that if we had ignored the rains and continued with the excavation, there is a tendency of accidents or poor project delivery. He expressed optimism that the road will be completed by December 2024 even as the aspect of the road that led to the diversion at Calabar Itu Highway will also be completed to allow free flow of traffic on the highway, especially heavy-duty vehicles.
“However, we understand the challenges faced by commuters in seeking alternative routes as a result of this construction. Unfortunately, against Government directives, heavy-duty trucks refused to ply the approved diverted routes instead, they joined other lighter vehicles to use these intra-city roads thereby exerting incalculably harmful pressure on these roads.
“It is cogent to explain that these intra-city routes were not meant for constant use by these heavy-duty trucks. Intra-city Roads like Ikpa Road and Uyo Village Road have been badly affected”. He explained.
Explaining further, the commissioner of Works said the state government has immediately swung into action with the immediate award of a contract for the construction of Uyo Village Road and Ikpa Road stretching up to Udoette Street.
Mr Ekerete Udoh, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, who also spoke to our Correspondent, said that the quality of roads in the state was made possible through quality successive leadership and commitment to service delivery.
“From the time of Obong Victor Attah to the current administration, governors of the state had given priority attention to road infrastructure.
“They understood the impact of good roads on security, economy and the general welfare of the people.
“It is not an understatement that the state has been lucky with the quality of governors it has produced since the return of democracy.
“The governors have also touched other key areas such as health, education, agriculture, industry and infrastructure’’, Udoh said.
Udoh said the Eno-led government was gearing up towards massive rural road infrastructure development as a way of tackling rural-urban migration.
“As the administration moves towards the end of its second year, rural and intra-city roads will be given attention’’, he said.
The project tour undertaken by our Correspondent showed that some strategic road projects executed by the present administration are set for commissioning soon. Such roads include:
The 6.97km Ukpana – Akpabom – Ikwe road with 30m span bridge in ONNA and Mkpat Enin LGA
The 2.45km internal roads at Block G, Anua Ifa Ikot Okpon Housing Estate, Uyo.
3.6km Ikot Obio Offong-Nung Ukana (Spur I to Ikot Obio Odongo) – Abaukpo – (Spur II to Afaha Ikot Owop) – Obetok – Obongntong – Enen Nsit – Afaha Udoeyop – Afaha Offong Road in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA.
10.519km Mkpat Enin-Ikot Ubo-Ikot Ntot-Nkikara Road in Mkpat Enin/Ikot Abasi LGA
9.76km Anciliary Roads with 60m Bridge in Nsit Ubium LGA with additional Road measuring 2.3km
4.95km Ekparakwa – Ntak Ibesit Road in Oruk Anam LGA.
2.9km Secretariat Okuko II – Events Road with Spur in Urue-Offiong/Oruko LGA
22.75km Ikot Ekaide – Ikot Okoro – Ibritam Road with two bridges in Oruk Anam LGA.
Meanwhile, with the deplorable condition of the portion of Calabar/Itu Highway across Itu LGA, the people of Itu are agitating for a dual carriageway: from Oku Iboku junction in Itu LGA, through Ifiayong Obot in Uruan LGA, Ikot Ayan in Itu, Ibiaku Uruan and to link the Ikpa Road at Ndue tong Oku in Uyo, the capital city should be considered by the state FGPC.
If the road is considered, the agitators suggest it should be strictly out of bounds for heavy-duty vehicles even as it would ease business movement between Cross River, Akwa Ibom and the northern part of the country.
To ensure better services and more durable road infrastructure, citizens of the State have been urged to consider complementing Government efforts by not erecting structures on waterways, drainages and right of way.
Also, an appeal has been made by the Ministry of Works and Fire Service for Akwa Ibom people to desist from constituting themselves into emergency road construction experts by initiating additional designs like speed breakers on the roads, as these can cause early damage to the road infrastructure.
However, if there is a need for such, the ministry should be approached for the right thing to be done.
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