RAAMP award first road construction contract in Akwa Ibom
The Akwa Ibom State Government’s investment and participation in the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing Project, RAAMP has begun to yield concrete dividends, with the signing and award of the first road construction contract, under the scheme.
The 11.0 KM Owotuta – Nung Oku Ekere – Afaha Udo Eyop – Edeobom – Utuat Market junction road, which traverses Ibesikpo Asutan and Nsit Ibom Local Government Areas, was won by China Roads and Bridges Corporation Nigeria Limited, CRBC.
At a brief ceremony for the contract signing formalities, held at the conference room of Akwa Ibom State Rural Access and Agricultural marketing Project, AKS – RAAMP, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor described the award as a milestone achievement by the current administration of the state, under the leadership of Mr. Udom Emmanuel, considering the delayed take-off of the project since the state joined the scheme in 2017 and subsequently the protracted duration of four years before the project was declared effective in 2021, among other foot – dragging experiences in the course of implementation.
The commissioner reiterated her appreciation of the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for his foresight to have discovered and invested in the project even as she further expressed satisfaction that the pioneering signatures for the award of contract to commence actual construction works on the roads and other indices prioritized for intervention under the project had been accomplished before the end of the current administration, describing the process as long and tortuous.
She again thanked the World Bank and French Development Agency for conceiving the project and called on all stakeholders to cooperate and support the scheme throughout its five years tenure and even beyond to promote sustainability, pointing out that the recent passage of the bill for the establishment of Akwa Ibom State Rural Access Roads Agency and Fund for the Management, Development, Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Maintenance of Class B, Class C and Class D Roads in Akwa Ibom State and for Funding and Other Matters Connected Therewith into law by the State House of Assembly, was a further demonstration of the fact that the project had been rooted in the state.
Dr. Offor thanked the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey; the Committee Chairman on Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Hon. Kufre-Abasi Edidem and Hon. Members of the State House of Assembly for the feat, describing the lawmakers as servant leaders and patriotic citizens of the state.
On the emergence of China Roads and Bridges Corporation, CRBC as beneficiary of the award, the commissioner was confident that having delivered on an earlier signature project in the state, speficically the IBB Avenue flood control project, under the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project, NEWMAP, the company had consolidated and would leverage on her previous experience to fine-tune on a prompt and standard delivery of the demonstration road to the project in particular and the state at large.
Also speaking, the State Project Coordinator of AKS-RAAMP, Pastor Gideon Akpan paid glowing tributes to Governor Udom Emmanuel’s invaluable support, without which the project would not have attained her current heights.
He further thanked the Governor for the success of Pastor Umo Eno at the recent polls, describing the Governor – elect as a team player in AKS-RAAMP, having left to contest the election as a member of the State Project Monitoring Committee, SPMC and expressed confidence that he would progress the AKS- RAAMP to the peak, as envisaged by Government, when the state embraced the project.
Pastor Akpan explained that the job was for a duration of 18 months, with no provision for review of the contract sum, adding that the project would adhere strictly to specifications in the design, as drawn by the consultants and further advised the contractor to chart his schedule of work in line with the weather condition of the state so as not to impinge on his prompt delivery of the job.
He assured the company of maximum cooperation by the State Project Implementation Unit, SPIU to guarantee her quality completion of the assignment.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of China roads and Bridges Corporation, CRBC, Mr. Zhou Hao, accompanied by the Business manager, Mr. Eric Luo, thanked the State Government and AKS – RAAMP for the award and pledged that his company would live above board to deliver on the job promptly.
Highlight of the ceremony was the official hoisting of the Nigerian National flag as well as the Akwa Ibom State Government flag and those of the World Bank and French Development Agency, by officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC.
The event had preceded the signature formalities, symbolizing the concrete effectiveness of RAAMP in the state.
The State Project Coordinator of NEWMAP, Dr. Ubong Harrison and the State Project Implementation Unit, SPIU and staff of the project witnessed the events.
