BILLIONS 'BURIED' BY GOVERNOR UDOM EMMANUEL

By Osondu Ahirika

I'm profoundly sorry I can't easily trace and cite the source of the eulogy I'm going to replicate in this essay. It was a kind commendation to His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel from a repentant critic who shifted from his cyncal view of the governor to a more moderate evaluation when reality stared him on the face.
Unedited, he wrote on his Facebook page in part, the following declarations:

"You have your shortcomings, your Excellency (who doesn't have?), but the fact remains that you will be leaving our State better than you met it.
I am happy that when one considers the number of buildings that were demolished on Oron/Airport road alone, and the buildings that were demolished at the Eket-Etinan, Uyo-Etinan and Etinan-Ndon Eyo roads and the huge outlays on compensation payments before the construction of the roads, one just has to commend your efforts.

Even your fiercest critics will smile when driving on the eye-catching 8 lanes Ring Road three or when flying Ibom Air. People can say what they like (as no leader can ever be loved by all, and no leader can please all), but our joy is that when they say "Udom Emmanuel has done nothing," we, your fans, will point to so many projects that you have initiated and completed in your tenure.

And your tenure will end in ten months hence, not today. There is enough time to complete a lot more.
I am praying fervently that God will guide you, and help you to complete most of your projects before leaving office next year. May you land well, your Excellency!"

I'm particularly interested in the second paragraph of the lifted quote above. It explains justifiably why people like us insist Governor Udom Emmanuel has performed exceedingly well. Many times when I hear people ask, "what is on ground to show for the huge allocations to Akwa Ibom State?", I have a hearty laugh at what ignorance can do.

Truth is, the billions this Government led by Governor Udom Emmanuel has buried underneath the earth and ghosted away in compensations is humongous and since its value cannot be physically seen or touched, nobody will remember. Indeed , with billions buried underground, nobody recalls the terrible flood problem at Nsikak Eduok by Edet Akpan Avenue intersection which troubled residents for years. The multi million naira construction of 1.5km Nsikak Eduok - Tropicana Outfall Drain which is a wholly underground drainage through Akwa Efak , across Udo Udoma Avenue all the way to Afaha Ikot Nkan behind the Ibom Tropicana has disappeared from memory. The flood gone, the drainage underground. We have forgotten how it was.

The intervention in Gully erosion at Etim Umana and St. Luke’s Hospital Anua in collaboration with World Bank Assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), no longer comes to mind. How will we recall or factor the collosal sums spent on this when it went mostly into the underground the concrete drains?

The same way we have forgotten the Ntak Inyang gridlock eased by Governor Emmanuel’s intervention. Recall that the Ntak Inyang axis of the Calabar-Itu road failed completely with a gully erosion breaking the dualized road in twain.

Commuters had a troubling experience as the road was completely impassable. The State Government had invested resources in providing a sustainable underground erosion infrastructure capable of channeling the threatening water to a safe exit. Done with handling the erosion, the reconstructed road was put back to use. Again, the money guzzling project took the huge investment down the drain. The people have short memory and we have moved on.

Then to what my unknown source wrote above. Have we considered the billions paid out as compensations to owners of property demolished to make way for the dualization of the 25.0km Uyo – Ikot Ekpene Road which he inerited from the previous administration? The compensation stretches to property demolished along the dualization of 20.0km Uyo – Etinan Road (Ikot Oku Ikono), the dualization of the 14.5km Uyo/Airport Junction – Okopedi Okobo Road, the dualization of 9.5km Ring Road III in Aka Nung Udoe Road and the 29 kilometres dualized (four lanes by width) Etinan-Ndon Eyo road. All these are built by Governor Udom Emmanuel o!

The Etinan-Ndon Eyo road t is currently the longest dual carriage road in Akwa Ibom State and its features include two Cable-stayed bridges at Ekpene Ukpa in Etinan and another one at Ikot Akpan in Onna, three roundabouts, streetlights across its entire length, standard median, and drainages on both sides. It's a very wide road, and each lane can accommodate four cars on its horizontal width. The compensation sums which runs into billions have gone with the wind. We see the beautiful world class infrastructure. Nobody remembers the component cost of compensations alone. The huge compensations paid for the dualization of the 19.5 kilometres Eket- Ibeno Road dualization project and the Etinan- Eket dual carriage way road project have all been waved goodbye. We don't just remember.

Have you been to Eket LGA recently? No? Visit Eket and you will see how Governor Udom Emmanuel has spent money due to the ongoing massive remodeling work within the city and its environs. Commencing from the large circus at the heart of Eket with massive underground drainage, to the Eket/Etinan Road project and to the reconstruction of the gigantic 2nd largest stadium in the State also located also in Eket, you will marvel at the huge investment sunk into Eket remodeling project. Again, hundreds of millions was poured into the underground drainage system and for compensation of demolished property that gave way for the remodelling. We won't easily remember that.

For this piece, let me end with the 9 kilometres IBB Flood Control Project which cuts across 17 communities in 3 Local Government Areas. The project which is executed by the Akwa Ibom State government in conjunction with World Bank will be inaugurated soon

The project which has been completed has completely eradicated every form of flooding in Uyo metropolis and it's environs which engrossed the State capital for almost 30 years since her creation. We enjoy the welcome relief this new dawn has brought. The problem is, the billions went underground and in compensations for property demolished in the right of way. We will soon forget this too.

https://www.facebook.com/100003028090920/posts/pfbid02JMsUcpLpNzsbZsuxsgioEGREU87RWvFuCNFgB2fy4yd4KZr8YeubXz2QS5eVzmtl/?d=n

Lalasticlala front page

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Ride on Governor

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Silent achievement

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Mynd44 front page

Daawoo, am very happy to see all this improvement, glory to GOD

Princessogaraya:
Ride on Governor

The guy is really doing well

HRHQueenPhil:
Daawoo, am very happy to see all this improvement, glory to GOD

Amen oo

But why will any right thinking human being vote Tinubu in a country like this that need good leadership, any way good work by the govonor ,

Nigeria is going to witness unprecedented development across states in the next couple of years.
Nigerians and her upcoming new generation leaders are tired and ashamed of the perpetual ineptitude.
Nigeria will be great again.

Coolsperm:
But why will any right thinking human being vote Tinubu in a country like this that need good leadership, any way good work by the govonor ,

we truly need good leadership

ThinkSmarter:
Nigeria is going to witness unprecedented development across states in the next couple of years.
Nigerians and her upcoming new generation leaders are tired and ashamed of the perpetual ineptitude.
Nigeria will be great again.

Exactly

Why didn't you show the abandon road at Aka junction that leads to mechanic village.


the ravine that has started claiming people's property in Uyo city.


what of Ikot Ebon Itam road project in Itu LGA

Kurtis02:


Why didn't you show the abandon road at Aka junction that leads to mechanic village.


the ravine that has started claiming people's property in Uyo city.


what of Ikot Ebon Itam road project in Itu LGA

One wonder what happen to your Nokia phone

Coolsperm:
But why will any right thinking human being vote Tinubu in a country like this that need good leadership, any way good work by the govonor ,

Only mad people are thinking of voting for a sick man to rule a sick country.

nice on governor

sarahkel:
nice on governor

yes oo

Hunchogee:
H

Governor Hope Uzodinma will build one drainage and called it Technology Balloon derange, next he will call president To commission it. This Udom Emmanuel doesn't make noise, his project looks like federal solid projects... silently building another capital Abuja in the south.

Impressive stuff!

Despacito1:



Governor Hope Uzodinma will build one drainage and called it Technology Balloon derange, next he will call president To commission it. This Udom Emmanuel doesn't make noise, his project looks like federal solid projects...

exactly my brother .. Akwa Ibom had made up thier minds to develop their state as a country in its own without federal government existence

Ebonyi Land strong like wetin

Great work! God bless akwa ibom