Seventeen communities in Akwa Ibom State are to benefit from a World Bank-funded flood control drainage system in the state expected to be completed by December 2021.
Governor Udom Emmanuel, who gave the assurances at Atan Offot, Uyo local government area while inspecting the project, said the perennial challenge of flood in the area would soon be history.
When completed, the project being executed by the state government in partnership with the World Bank under the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), will ameliorate erosion menace in 17 villages across the three LGAs of Uyo, Ibesikpo Asutan and Nsit Ibom.
The governor thanked the World Bank for coming into partnership with the state government to execute the project which, he disclosed, would take over $50m to complete.
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Stressing his administration’s concern to ensure flood-free areas, he said investing such humongous amount of money in a project that will mostly be buried underground, without corresponding visible structures to attract public applause, was people-driven, void of political undertone.
“We are here today to look at this perennial issue that has been in this region for over 15 years now,” the governor said.
“Concerning flood in this area, it’s only people living around here that can tell you what they’ve gone through over the years. We are in government to solve problems.
“We had a similar problem along Nsikak Eduok for many years; today nobody remembers that again. For this one, we are nearing completion,” he said.
Reiterating his concern with timely and qualitative delivery of the project, Governor Emmanuel affirmed that the project was pre-funded and tasked the contractors to deliver in record time and quality.
“I have to announce that this is one project that is pre-funded, so it is left for the contractors to give us the speed that we are asking for, without compromising quality.
“I have engineers in my team to give me on-the-spot assessments, whether the reinforcements are of standard and the environmental impact, because for a project that spans over 8km, we can’t ignore the impact on the communities,” he stated.
Governor Emmanuel expressed satisfaction with the amount of work put on ground, stressing that the strategy of pre-casting components of the project before bringing them to site for installation would enhance speed and minimize the impact of the rains on progress of work on the project.
“With what I’m seeing here so far, I would say I’m really satisfied. Rest assured that this project will be commissioned by December,” he said.
He assured that based on analysis of the environmental impact assessment done, the effect of the project on the environment, including the aquatic lives in the water bodies where the drainages will empty into, would be very minimal, adding that his government was also partnering other agencies to curb the menace of natural disaster in various parts of the state.
Giving an overview of the project, the State Commissioner for Environment and Solid Mineral, Charles Udoh, said the project has a drainage facility of 8.4km long, 10 metres deep and 12 metres wide, with covering where it traverses areas of high population density and perimeter fencing in other areas for the safety of residents.
Udoh said the drain line would take waters from the entire Atiku Abubakar Way, Abak Road, Ring Roads II and III, IBB Avenue and the entire Effiat Offot in Uyo, through an underground drain in the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, across Ibesikpo-Asutan LGA to a discharge point in Nsit Ibom.
Member representing Ibesikpo Asutan in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Aniekan Uko, thanked the governor on behalf of his people and assured of their continued support to his administration.
