The outbreak of the coronavirus in China which has spread to other parts of the world including Nigeria has left a devastating impact on human lives and has hit the economy of many countries in many ways.
With hundreds killed and thousands infected in Asia and Europe, it has continued to spread with new infections reported on a daily basis. This has taken a toll on economic activities and brought to abrupt halt the execution of many multi-million naira projects, including the Ibom Blue Science and Technology Park in Akwa Ibom State.
Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel had performed the ground-breaking of the Ibom Science Park last December renamed lbom Blue Sea Science and Technology Park with Chinese firms as the major investors.
The governor had at the event said that the state government would meet its commitments to the project to ensure its timely completion.
However, less than three months after the groundbreaking ceremony, which attracted captains of industry and stakeholders including officials of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, the project has yet to get off the drawing board.
Iniobong Essien, commissioner for science and technology, said the work had been delayed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
“On behalf of the State Government, it is hereby brought to the attention of Akwa Ibom State and the general public that the actual commencement of work on the project has been delayed following the recent outbreak of a global epidemic known as Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China late last year,” Essien said.
The project was to be executed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement between the State Government and the Blue Sea International holdings Limited of China
“The core personnel to drive the project dispatched to the state who went for new year vacation with the work plan to return to the state by second week of February this year to start work on the site in earnest could not return as they were caught in the web of travel restrictions placed on China and her people around the globe following the global epidemic, coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Consequently, it follows that due to this unexpected development, work on the project had to be put on hold while waiting for a medical breakthrough that will ameliorate the present spread of the viral infection and turn things around soon.
“We are in constant touch with the management of the Chinese firm and they have affirmed their readiness to commence work at the site as soon as COVID-19 has abated and travel restrictions lifted.
“We therefore, call on Akwa Ibom people and indeed the general public to continue to keep faith with the Completion Agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel administration,” especially in his untiring effort to make science and technology the driving tool for our industrialisation.
The Ibom Blue Sea Science and Technology Park is work in progress, the statement by the commissioner stated.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
