Patrick Ikpenwa, commissioner for works, Enugu State, in this interview with REGIS ANUKWUOJI, lists the achievements of his ministry so far, commending the state governor and why the state is seriously demanding a refund of N22.8 billion from the Federal Government. Excerpts:
The state government recently called for a refund of N22.8 billion from the Federal Government; what actually happened?
We spent it to maintain the federal roads. It is a lot of money; if a state has that money like we did and we spent it to maintain federal roads, certainly you find out that there are other sectors that must have actually suffered. We have sectors like education, Health, culture and tourism that needs the government attention, especially now that we have economic meltdown in the country. I must tell you that it is not easy because given the heavy weight we are carrying, it is certainly affecting most of our plans. 2016 is winding down, we have a budget and of course the effect is very clear and that is why we are trying to cut the much we can chew, then still meet the aspiration of our people by ensuring that even though we are carrying the heavy load, debt of that nature that we are expecting a refund from federal government, we have to live so that we will be able to know when this payment will be made that is why the state government under the able leadership of his Excellency Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is seeking a refund. We are lucky to have the governor. I do not know what it would have been if not him, probably because of his background he was able to find a way to make sure that everybody smiles at the end of the month, because we know that God willing, this payment would be made. It is affecting our activities, we have a lot of dreams especially his Excellency, we are trying but we could have done much better than what we are doing at the moment. We are hoping that it will come and when it comes people will see.
How is the government looking at the issue of development in the entire state and the challenges of uncompleted projects?
Well, development like you said, recently we flagged off so many roads mainly in the rural areas; in short every part of the local government experienced that flag off. It was an unprecedented kind of approach in the construction works, flagging off that number of projects all across 17 local governments of the state. The immediate effect of that is that we are opening up in such areas for development, I remember a remark I made in my area. I am from Aninri, the road, by the time it will be completed, they have some farm lands around that place, by the time you harvest and bring it out you find out that the buyers will be waiting along the road, so it has created a situation that will motivate you to produce more. It has reduced the past experience where there was no road to bring buyers. So, the road projects now will trigger development and make people feel that they belong in the state. The era has gone when development is centered only in the city where you have the state capital, where people come occasionally to see electricity and what have you, this time around the roads get down there we talk about migration, we are trying to reduce it, those things you think you are going out there to get can be seen right in front of your house then what are you going out there to look for again.
Well, development like you said, recently we flagged off so many roads mainly in the rural areas; in short every part of the local government experienced that flag off. It was an unprecedented kind of approach in the construction works, flagging off that number of projects all across 17 local governments of the state. The immediate effect of that is that we are opening up in such areas for development, I remember a remark I made in my area. I am from Aninri, the road, by the time it will be completed, they have some farm lands around that place, by the time you harvest and bring it out you find out that the buyers will be waiting along the road, so it has created a situation that will motivate you to produce more. It has reduced the past experience where there was no road to bring buyers. So, the road projects now will trigger development and make people feel that they belong in the state. The era has gone when development is centered only in the city where you have the state capital, where people come occasionally to see electricity and what have you, this time around the roads get down there we talk about migration, we are trying to reduce it, those things you think you are going out there to get can be seen right in front of your house then what are you going out there to look for again.
We are doing our best to ensure that it is done. The approach is that we are handling these jobs in a very unique way that any one we start we complete. That now tells you that we may not have as it is used to be uncompleted projects, some of the uncompleted projects we met when we came in, of course, we started them and we have completed most of them. We have Airport roundabout, Orie Emene it was an ongoing project, Nofia Street at Independence Layout, Bishop Eneje Street, we completed them, a good number of them, including the secretariat that has been fully occupied, A and B it is fully occupied now it was an ongoing project we completed it. The only thing we do because of scarcity of fund generally in the country, what we do is to prioritise our approach to some of these things; the approach of the governor is so open. Of course, you know people’s governor he will put it before every other person and then it will be agreed on that these are the projects that will touch the lives of people and impact more positively; such projects will be addressed; that is the approach, but I must tell you that the scarcity of fund is affecting every sector. We are being praised yes because we are about the best, where many states can’t even pay their workers we do that, not that we have surplus it is only about planning, not that we just pay salaries and fold our hands, we still execute some projects. I have just told you we flagged off 35 rural roads excluding electricity because we still have some electricity projects we also flagged off just last week. We have to continue to thank God for all his support and the encouragement we are getting from the good people of Enugu State.
Over the years, people have played politics with Oji-River road, Mmaku and Mgbowo have become disconnected, the road is affecting the economy of the people who are mainly farmers and traders; what effort is the state making to help out these communities since you have started doing some federal roads? Again, your plans to complete 9th Mile bypass for easy movement this yuletide?
The first one is Oji-River- Achi-Awgu road, very quickly I will tell you that it is a federal road, secondly we have a contract on it, that particular road I think the contractor is Master Holdings that is handling that section. That particular road extends to Akeze, it is not stopping at Awgu, only that it is divided into two sections from Awgu to Akeze then from Oji to Awgu; Section one is from Oji to Awgu while section two is from Awgu to Akeze, that section two has been completed, but for whatever reason I am not in the position to know why section one has not been completed, it is a concern to every one of us, but recently when I passed through that side I saw some fresh jobs going on there which means that it is either he is back or there is an understanding. So we are hopeful something will be done. One thing that is clear is that you don’t enter any of these roads where you have contractor without express permission, according to the law of contract, since we are very much aware that there is a contractor on it we cannot rush into it. Not because we are doing federal roads we just pick up all the federal roads and start doing, it has to be done for a reason. And then the same thing applies to that of 9th mile.
REGIS ANUKWUOJI
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