Joseph Athanasius|Uyo| Truth be told; the socio-economic significance of road infrastructure in any industrialized state of the world cannot be underestimated, why because reliable road network has been and it is one major factor that drives commerce and promotes industrialization.
You cannot talk about industrialization without taking into consideration some logistics like urban-rural transportation, and I suspect; it could be that, that is why the present state government is aggressively building efficient road and transport infrastructure that will allow access and evacuation of manufactured goods as industrialization takes-off.
“Road infrastructure must be emphasized because it is the bedrock of industrialization.
You cannot intent to build industries, and there is no access to the site where you intent to build them. Roads become necessary to allow access to where these industries are built, so as to help evacuate their products,” Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen, the Honourable Commissioner for Works explained.
And, I quite agree with him. However, I am perturbed, considering the condition and the status of Uyo-Oron road, which according to the Honourable Commissioner for Works, that road is of prime importance, not only to the Akwa Ibom state government but to its citizenry. Apart from the deplorable status of this all important road, I am much more concern about the plight of Akwa Ibom people who ply this road for their socio-economic activities.
Interestingly, from the available record, Uyo-Oron road is one of the roads awarded contract by Governor Udom Emmanuel-led government, and it is about 29km dualized road. Let’s get the record straight; the road passes through Nsit Atai and Okobo, and was awarded contract October last year, and was to be done phasely.
“Phase one was from Airport to some where in Okobo before the bush and from that bush was suppose to open up at the East-West road in Oron road”, Ephraim Inyang-eyen explained. As a concern citizen, from my observation, I was not quite impress with the pace of work on that road, and you cannot tell me that, this is the road, whose contract was awarded last year October.
The Commissioner explained further, “I have written my report; my job is to ensure that the job progress as it is expected and I give report regularly to His Excellency, I had not been impressed by the pace of work on that road.”
According to Mr Ephraim Inyang-eyen, that road, by the calculation of this present government, is one of the roads that will open Uyo into the hinterland.
He explained, “if we have Uyo-Oron road open to the East-West road, which we have as option 1; and option 2; will be Uyo-Etinan and Etinan-Eket, which will open also into the East-West road by the bridge and thirdly will be Uyo-Etinan, Etinan-Ndoneyo, and Ndoneyo-East-West road, and we are considering doing PPP from Eket junction on East-West road to Abak, meaning that the state will be served with at last four dualized road.”
Interestingly, Uyo-Oron Road will serve multiple capacities. By implication, someone who is in East-West road and wish to come to Uyo has multiple choices of which road to ply.
And this explains the significance of this particular Uyo-Oron road to Ibaka Deep Seaport. By the virtue of these different channels, it simply means that, by the time the Deep Seaport is completed, Trucks and Tankers will have choices of which road to use and if one is faulty, there will always be an alternative, wow!
My thinking is that, what the government of the day is doing is to open up this environment for development hence; Uyo-Oron road is not a project that should be delayed or abandon, given its strategic significance to Akwa Ibom State’s industrialization.
However, a new development has revealed that this government under Mr. Udom Emmanuel is one government that has the people’s interest above every other interest. The Governor in his wisdom has decided to revoke the contract of Uyo-Oron Road from the contractors who handled the project for failing to follow suit when possible in meeting the terms of the contract.
After all efforts in making sure these contractors concerned lift up the embargo on the road with the funds the government had served them fails, the Commissioner said; “…the Governor drove through that road, he probably saw what I saw, and decided to call on the Attorney General of the state to revoke the contract.
As we speak, the documents are being put together to revoke that contract and will be immediately be re-rewarded to another 5 star contractor that will room on that road in 30 days.”
This decision nevertheless, has exemplified Governor Udom Emmanuel’s burning passion to render selfless service to the good people of Akwa Ibom.
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