EMMANUEL AND THE ‘COMPLETION AGENDA’

  Udo Emmanuel is a bridge builder, reckons Fidelis Ekwere

Recently, Akwa Ibom made history by building the longest bridge in the state. The 1.15km Afi-Uko Ntighe Bridge which is also said to be the longest in the south-south region was constructed to link Mbo and Esit Eket local government areas in the state. It was commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan in January 2023. 

According to history, the Etebi-Enwang bridge project was awarded in 1949 to a British construction company headed by Engr Fidelis Cobbs. It was reported that in 2008, the administration of former governor, Godswill Akpabio, made the bridge and the Use Ikot Amama Road in Ibiono Ibom LGA part of his focus. Sadly, both projects were uncompleted.

“This bridge as you all know was initiated by the former Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2008. Since then, it has been a sad story of neglect and poor contractual disposition to agreements,” said the Special Assistant to Governor Emmanuel on Research and Documentation, Essien Ndueso.

“The bridge was only 35 percent executed when Governor Udom Emmanuel took over office in 2015. The governor in 2018 had to get a contractor that specializes in Bridge construction – AMITEC.” Ndueso also said the bridge was among over 40 bridges constructed by Emmanuel across the 31 local government areas in the state as part of the Completion Agenda of his administration.

It’s amazing to know that this bridge had been in the works since 1949. Before Nigeria even became independent. Successive administrations had known about the importance but the job never came to fruition. Until the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel stepped in. This brings to mind the famed story of the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ in California, US. According to the story, in the 1920s, the US State of California wanted to build a road that would connect the San Gabriel Valley in the south to Wrightwood in the north. Construction started in 1929 and by 1936, highway construction reached a very deep gorge called the narrows and a bridge was constructed over it. By 1938 however, a torrential storm and flood obliterated the road to the bridge. Construction never resumed due to financial constraints, leaving the ‘bridge to nowhere’ hanging about 120 feet above the river bed. 

Today, the bridge to nowhere, is essentially what it says. It’s a truss arch bridge five miles away from the nearest motorable asphalt, leading to nowhere – and used mainly for bungee jumping and a tourist attraction. Other attempts to tame the San Gabriel Mountain with a road have failed, including Route 39. To imagine the almighty US caving in and abandoning such a project is somewhat ironic. Also, in the US state of Alaska, there is the Gravina Island Bridge, commonly referred to as the “Bridge to Nowhere”. In this case, the proposed bridge projected to cost $398 million was to replace the ferry that currently connects the town of Ketchikan with Gravina Island, an island that has the Ketchikan International Airport as well as 50 residents. There are similar failed bridges across the world.

But consider the 1.15km Afi-Uko Ntighe Bridge in Akwa Ibom which was first awarded as a project 74 years ago. Until it was recently completed by Governor Emmanuel, it had all the trappings of a ‘bridge to nowhere.’ Thankfully, it didn’t end that way as the man who coined the term ‘completion agenda’ to guide his administration’s approach to projects, completed it. Hear him at the commissioning of the bridge. “This area is where the future of Nigeria lies,” Emmanuel said. “When we took the mantle of leadership in 2015, I said that our goal is to serve and I have tried not to be distracted.

“I said during the campaign for my second term that we would open up the revenue areas and spread life-touching projects across the 31 local government areas of the state simultaneously.

“Mbo is where the Ibom Solution Hub in oil and gas is, the bridge is significant because with it many industrial developments projects in the area would be possible. With the government of the Peoples Democratic Party, the people of this area will have a sense of fulfilment and Akwa Ibom shall be better every day.”

Mbo hosts the Liberty Free Trade zone, the Ibom Solution Hub said to be one of the largest oil and gas logistics centre in Africa. The zeal with which the Emmanuel administration executes projects in the state is glaring and the completion of the Afi-Uko Ntighe Bridge can be described as a metaphor. The lingering and uncompleted project which many Akwa Ibomites might have given up on is now finished. This is also the case with others. As far back as 2021, the governor had promised to complete all critical projects in the state. The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, had said on a radio programme that, “the Governor has promised that there is no infrastructure or project that is critical to the Completion Agenda that would not be completed. Therefore the citizens have nothing to worry about.”

But what exactly is Governor Emmanuel’s completion agenda? The governor himself disclosed it in a May 29, 2022 broadcast.

“The First Term of the initial contract we signed with you, was predicated on five critical points, of: Job Creation, Poverty Alleviation, Infrastructural Consolidation and Expansion, Wealth Creation and Economic and Political Inclusion,” he said.

“We later expanded the above set of ideals into the 8-Point Completion Agenda comprising: industrialization, infrastructure, aviation development, agriculture, human capacity development, security, small and medium scale enterprises and rural and riverine development.”

By May 29 this year, Emmanuel would hand over to a new governor. And since January 2022, Emmanuel had thrown his weight behind Pastor Umo Eno as his favoured successor. For sticking out his neck that way, I think Governor Emmanuel is confident of his anointed being able to initiate new as well as complete ongoing projects. After all, the government is expected to operate as a continuum.

Born on May 10, 1964, Pastor Eno, is an astute businessman and administrator,  a recipient of the National Productivity Award and two-time Paul Haris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Eket District 9140. He has highlighted how his campaign would deliver democratic goodies for Akwa Ibomites under the ARISE agenda which stands for ‘Agricultural Revolution, Rural Development, Infrastructural Maintenance/Advancement, Security Management and Educational Advancement.’

While it’s important to start projects, it is equally important to complete projects. Hence, if you say the gubernatorial aspiration of Pastor Eno would be Emmanuel’s final project, you may not be wrong. Since the governor anointed the Pastor as his successor, it has attracted knocks and kudos. Expectedly. But like a prized fighter, Emmanuel isn’t buckling. Akwa Ibomites should be more curious why Governor Emmanuel deems Pastor Eno a worthy successor. That is where the answer lies. Personally, I cannot imagine Emmanuel who completed uncompleted projects and initiated legacy projects to just hand over to anyone. I cannot imagine the man who embarked on massive construction of roads and bridges, hospitals, schools and is responsible for infrastructural feats like Ibom Air, Dakada Towers and Spectrum TV, would not be interested in his successor. But I can imagine the bridge builder being better positioned to know who can keep the torch burning in Akwa Ibom. 

Ekwere writes from Uyo