A’Ibom, World Bank Lauded over Flood Control Project
Okon Bassey in Uyo
The Project Coordinator, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Ubong Harrison, has commended the commitment shown by the state government and the World Bank to ensure speedy completion of the IBB flood control project.
The IBB flood project, which has so far consumed about N23 billion, is co-funded by Akwa Ibom State Government and the World Bank.
The 8.4 kilometers project spanned through 18 communities across three local government areas in the state.
The project, which was awarded in 2020 to China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), is expected to be completed before the end of 2022.
Harrison said that the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, deserved commendation for paving the way for the successful completion of the IBB Way flood control project.
He explained that unprecedented resettlement programme carried out by the governor, which the World Bank had suspected the state government might not be able to undertake, would have been a major obstacle to the project.
He disclosed that 10 boreholes would be provided as alternative source of drinking water for the communities around the outfall area while about 600 stands of economic trees would be planted in the outfall to restore the original ecosystem of the area.
Emmanuel said during an inspection visit to the IBB flood project weekend that he was impressed with the standard, the pace and quality of delivery by the contractor, saying that he has been relieved of his concerns about flood problems at the state secretariat, Abak Road, and Federal Housing all in the state capital.
The governor noted that the job which is almost 90 percent completed would be ready for commissioning by September this year, adding that Akwa Ibom State is the only state in Nigeria with such a lengthy, quality drainage system.
He thanked all stakeholders for collaborating to ensure the success of the project, and the communities the project runs through for enduring the associated inconveniences.
“People talk about legacy. I think this is a legacy, something that affects the common man in a positive way, something that affects people around. I think this is a major legacy that we’re doing life touching project that impacts on those who contributed to put us in office,” he said, adding that “this is more complicated and more expensive than normal road construction. If you check what we’ve buried under the ground, it goes beyond normal politics to get this done. It takes a heart of love for the people to do this.
“People passing through here in years to come will never appreciate the problem or the magnitude that has been here. Since the creation of this state there’s no government that had addressed this problem. It goes beyond normal politics to get this done.
“It takes the heart of somebody who loves his people to do this, else why was it not done for how many years of the existence of the state -almost 35 years now. It had to wait for people like us to come and do it.”
He appreciated the contractors for taking advantage of the dry season to work day and night
2023: Former Lawmaker Declares Intention to Return to Senate, Assures Constituents of Quality Representation- By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Former member of the Senate Committee on Banking and other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, has declared that he would re-contest the Kwara South Senatorial District position in the next general election to provide more quality representation to the people of the senatorial district.
Ibrahim, who was the immediate past senator representing the area, stated this in Ilorin over the weekend during a chat with THISDAY.
He said that his tenure in office during the 8th Senate has brought a new lease of life to the people of the senatorial district, which the present and yet unborn generations could attest to.
The former lawmaker added that “apart from the delivery of dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of the senatorial district, hundreds of undergraduates in the senatorial district were offered employment opportunities and today some of them have become self reliant in the society.”
He also said that “a lot of bills were initiated and passed into laws during my tenure as senator representing Kwara South and these have become a reference points for economic and political development of the country.”
The PDP chieftain opined that his “intention to return to the senate in the next election is to continue with the quality representation that the people of my senatorial district know me for so as to add more values to their socio well being.
“The people have seen the difference and the era of cajoling the people with any slogan or movement has gone forever in the political space of Kwara State.
“The electorates have seen the light and each candidates of the elections will be judged according to their services while in the saddle of authorities and not on any movement that has failed to add values to the people since their debut in the political space of the state.”
The former lawmaker, who described agitations in certain quarters of the senatorial district over the zoning of the ticket as uncalled for, adding that “we are sons and daughters of the Kwara South senatorial district of Kwara State and there should be no discrimination of any sort because it belonged to all.”
He, therefore, assured that if given ticket to return to the senate come next election, he would use his past exposures to provide qualitative representation and add more value to the socio economic and political development of his constituency.
