Emmanuel Ekpo, Uyo
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang has said that money allocated for the Calabar-Itu road in the 2021 budget would not be sufficient to carry the project far.
According to him, Federal Government is considering sourcing for money from the interventionist agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission and Sukkuk bond to finance substantial part of the project in 2022.
Enang said this on Tuesday while inspecting a four-kilometre portion of the road already completed by Julius Berger PLC.
He praised the company for the quality of road, noting that the standard was in accordance with the design by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
He said: “This is the portion which has been completed by Julius Berger, it’s only about three to four kilometres of the 22 kilometres that they have completed and with pavement on both sides. Not that nothing has been done, just that they haven’t completed and gone far.
“We appreciate the quality of the road, if you see the width and other things, they are done as designed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
“I want the people of Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Abia states to commend and appreciate President Mohammadu Buhari. We want to assure you that the rest of the project will be funded more in the next budget.
“There is money in the 2021 budget, but it is not much to go far for this, but the one we’re anxious to commence is the aspect of the road that was awarded to China Civil Engineering and Construction Company which they are yet to commence because we are yet to mobilise them.
“We are trying to get funds from the Niger Delta Development Commission, from other sources and of course from Sukkuk bond to be able to complete these other parts.”