Ikot Akpan Obong Community in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has cried out over the High Tension/ Ikpa Market Road project started by the immediate past administration in the State.

The Village Head of Ikot Akpan Obong, Eteidung Christopher Akaninyene Paul told Kristina Reports on Thursday, August 1, 2024 that the then Governor, Udom Emmanuel kickstarted the project noly for it to be abandoned few months after commencement of work.

Conducting Kristina Reports on an inspection of the project, Eteidung Paul stated that the community is, therefore, appealing to the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, to remobilise the construction company, ECC EDAFE Construction Company Ltd., earlier awarded the contract, to move to site.

He said that this would ensure that the project is completed in record time thus giving the people of the area an easy access to transport their farm produce and other goods to the only central market in the area.

Recall that the High Tension/ Ikpa Market Road project, covering 1.4 kilometres, was awarded in 2022 by the former administration, during the build-up to the 2023 general elections.

The Village Head lamented over the difficulty the people in the area, as well as traders constantly plying the road to Ikpa Market had been going through since the road was excavated and abandoned thereafter.

He disclosed that, apart from traders moving their goods to the market through the road, the situation also had adversely affected other communities such as Afaha Itiat, Ikot Obong, Ikot Udo Obio Oku, Ikot Atim, Ikot Ukana and others whom he said were the first line users of the road.

He said although prior to the excavation work, the road was always accessed with difficulty, the excavation by the construction company, according to him, worsened the state of the road, a development he said needed an urgent attention.

Eteidung Paul told our correspondent that there was also the issue of erosion menace exacerbating the situation, owing to the recent downpours across many states as was predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

The traditional ruler lamented that the menacing erosion on the road had dug out the foundation of most houses built nearby, including that of the immediate past member who represented Ibiono Ibom in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Godwin Ekpo.

“From the look of things, government has abandoned us and the road, because I see no reason the road should remain the way it is up until now.

“I am very sad because traders can’t access this road again, which leads to the only central market – Ikpa Market in entire Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, for commercial activities.  Some times, these traders fall with their goods while trying to meander through the bad portions of the road.

“Before they came here, our road was passable a bit because we were always maintaining some portions in our own community way.  Even last December, we still went and worked on these portions that erosion cut off last year. But, as we speak, the degree of devastation is beyond us.”

On what the affected communities had done to get the attention of the Governor, Eteidung Paul told Kristina Reports that they had, after the 2023 general elections, contacted the then member representing Ibiono Ibom Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Godwin Expo, who assured them that the current administration led by Governor Umo Eno would complete all abandoned roads in the State.

Eteidung Paul therefore, appealed to Governor Eno to ameliorate their sufferings and those of other users of the road, by remobilising the contractor to site.

However, in telephone interview with Kristina Reports, Site Engineer of the contractor handling the project, Robinson Ajie disclosed that the project was abandoned due to the fact that the then government only released funds for mobilisation of the project, and not for its complete execution.

“The immediate past administration did not release up to half of the funds needed for the execution of the project. It was just money for mobilisation that they released, and we paid compensation and did a little you saw.”

Ajie, however, promised that his company was willing and ready to return to site as soon as funds are made available to it, stressing that ECC Edafe Construction Company Limited aligns with developmental efforts aimed improving the living conditions of Nigerians.