 |
| Rt. Hon. Uduak Odudoh |
 |
| Ephraim Inyang |
 |
| Barr. Ekong Sampson |
Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, on Monday, engaged over nine Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state during the defence of their respective budget estimate for the year 2020.
the House through its Committee on Finance and Appropriation, led by Rt. Hon. Uduak Odudoh, expressed dissatisfaction with level of performance by some of the MDAs in respect to their previous budgetary provisions.
Rt. Hon. Odudoh, who also represents Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo State Constituency, specifically tasked Ministry of Works to tackle and curb the spate of abandonment and failed road projects by contractors in the state.
Bothered by the concerns, the member representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency, Hon. Victor Ekwere, laid before the Committee a petition on failed road projects by his people and urged the Commissioner for Works to rise to the responsibility of Ministry and come to the aid of his people.
While questioning the State Commissioner for Works, Akparawa Ephraim Inyang, who appeared before the Committee to defend his Ministry’s estimate for 2020, the member representing Nsit Atai, Rt. Hon. Mark Esset, frowned at the persistent award of the Nsit Atai-Okobo Road project to four companies without success, stressing that government resources were being wasted on daily basis.
Members of the Committee including Rt. Hon. Odudoh (Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo), Rt. Hon. Aniefiok Dennis (Etinan), Hon. Godwin Ekpo (Ibiono Ibom), Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong (INI) also charged Akparawa Inyang to ensure the construction of quality roads in their respective constituencies and other areas of the state.
In his remarks, Akparawa Inyang, while reacting to the issue of Nsit Atai-Okobo Road project, said it was the Ministry’s set standard and requirement that sent the erring contractors out of the project site, noting that out of N1 billion pay out for the contact, government has recovered N700 million back to its purse.
He assured that if the current company handling the road fails to meet the set requirements, they would be shown the way out, while government monies would be recovered.
In his words: “Government will not loose money on the Nsit Atai-Okobo road, be rest assured. Every Kobo will be accounted for. I can say that the governor is committed to dualizing that road because we need it as a releasing point for the deep seaport.”
Giving a review of all ongoing projects under the supervision of his Ministry, the Works Commissioner said they were is currently working on 57 major road contracts, 30 bridges and flyovers as well as 178 Intervention projects spread across the state.
“Out of the 57 major road contracts, 11 have been completed and commissioned. We are very hopeful that by the year 2020, in May when this administration would have been into the first year of the second term, we should be able to deliver at least another 18,” he explained.
Mr Inyang-Eyen said his ministry has so far accessed between 40 and 41 per cent cash releases in the current 2019 financial year.
He said that N131 billion has been earmarked for his ministry for 2020 and that the focus would be the completion of all ongoing projects.
He said resources are to be channelled to projects that are at about 50, 60, 70, and 80 per cent completion so that they would have been put to us before May 2020.
The Committee also attended to Ministry of Housing; Ministry of Health; Office of the Auditor General; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Environment and Petroleum Resources; Primary Healthcare Development Agency; Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Planning; Hotels and Tourism Board; Ministry of Trade and Investment, and the Judicial Service Commission.
No comments:
Post a Comment