Akwa-Ibom Gov Releases ₦123.5b To Contractors Handling Newly Approved Projects

The Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has released ₦123.5 billion payment of mobilisation fees, right-of-way compensation, and the settlement of due Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) to contractors handling various road projects in the State.

In a Friday statement signed by Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, Governor Eno consented following the State Executive Council’s approval of a new road and the continuation of ongoing projects.

According to the statement, the projects cover over 167 kilometres of roads, including the Ikwe–Odio Road, the six-lane dualisation of Nnung Udoe–Afaha Offiong–Afaha Nsit with a rotary intersection, the dualisation of Afaha Offiong–Ikot Imoh–Itreto, and the reconstruction of the Ikot Akpaden–Okorete–Iko Road with two mini bridges in Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas, among others in Akwa-Ibom.

A breakdown of the figure shows that ₦69 billion is earmarked for newly awarded projects, while ₦54.5 billion has been released to service outstanding IPCs and additional works on existing projects.

The statement explained that, “the essence of this payment is to encourage contractors handling the various projects to take full advantage of the construction season and deploy all necessary resources to ensure the timely completion of the projects within the agreed timeframe.”

The statement maintained that the projects underscore Governor Eno’s commitment to delivering on the infrastructure expansion mantra of the ARISE Agenda.