Akwa Ibom peculiar terrain deserves special attention by RAAMP – Pastor Gideon Akpan
Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, AKS-RAAMP, Pastor Gideon Akpan has sited the ecology and peculiar rainfall situation of the state for consideration by the World Bank, WB and the Federal Project Management Unit, FPMU in the allocation of intervention funds under the project vis-a-vis the relative characteristics of other participating states across the country.
Pastor Akpan made the plea while fielding questions from the WB and FPMU technical mission team, Friday last week, during their two – day working tour of AKS-RAAMP. The National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu Mohammed was represented by his lead national infrastructure engineer, Engr. Bukar Gana, while the World Bank team was led by Engr. Akintola Babalola.
“I studied Geology and can speak with authority in this regard. The geology component of states, from Enugu – up north is not the same as from Enugu – down south. The rainy season is always very intense in this part of the country and the worst affected are south-south states, particularly Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, etc and we are the only state among these currently in this project that has come thus far. In this area, the use of stone base for road construction has prevailed over laterite, following the intense and protracted rainy season, with its attendant effect on the soil. Besides, imagine a road that had been paved about fifteen years ago with stone base, yet as you are going for rehabilitation, you scrape off the stone base and replace same with laterite. The community would simply pursue you out of the place because your intention would have been viewed as wanting to plunge the community into a situation worse than you met it,” Pastor Akpan said in part.
He earlier noted that work on AKS-RAAMP demonstration road had progressed beyond 65 percent and would likely be completed ahead of scheduled time. Four out of the six lots of road contracts under the spot improvement component had been awarded, while one out of the five lots under backlog maintenance had been taken over by the state government for construction of a dual carriageway.
Under the upgrading component, provision had been made for two roads this year and submitted to FPMU; and the Environmental / Social Management Plan, ESMP and Resettlement Action Plan, RAP for the 11 kilometer Nsie – Uruting road in Okobo Local Government had been cleared by the world bank; while request for bids had been advertised for three markets under the agro logistic centers component.
He however identified some challenges in the course of implementing the project to include: the unfavorable weather condition in the state, with just about four months of dry season vis-a-vis its impact on the available time for actual road construction; delays in clearance by the world bank on safeguards matters as well as the increasing rate of inflation in the country, among other things.
Responding, the National Coordinator of RAAMP, represented by Engr. Bukar Gana and Engr. Akintola Babalola, who represented the world bank, observed the relative cost of road construction in Akwa Ibom, compared with states in the northern part of the country and further queried the use of stone base for construction under the project, against the provision for laterite, pointing out that such was beyond the specifications for low volume roads under RAAMP. Both however pledged to look into the issues submitted by the state project coordinator for prompt consideration.
Highpoints of the mission was the technical visit to AKS-RAAMP demonstration road to assess the standard of physical compliance by the consultants and contractors on site.
