Itu Local Government Area Boils

… As Youths In Three Communities Reject AKROIMA

Calls On Works Ministry To Construct Roads Links To Etaha Itam Market

…Let There Be Calmness, Govt Is Bringing Lasting Solution – WORKS comm

By Our Reporter

Youths in Afaha Ube, Nwut Usiong and Ikot Abasi Itam, all in Itu local government area have said that the law that established the Akwa Ibom State Roads and Other Infrastructure Maintenance Agency (AKROIMA) does not permit the agency to embark on roads construction rather repair and maintain existing roads and other infrastructures in the state, wondered why it should take over an abandoned road with a view to completing it.

The youths who made this known to newsmen recently in a media chat said that there is nothing wrong with AKROIMA coming into the community and argued that should rather repair and maintain the dilapidated roads filled with potholes, not the road billed up for construction added that AKROIMA has no capacity, mandate or equipment to do that.

Contained in an address presented by Comrade Victor Udoeka, the youth President of Afaha Ube Itam on behalf of youths of the three communities, flanked by Comrade Kin Solomon: Supervisor staff and security, Tegrach Nig. Ltd.; Ukeme Akaninyene Etim, youth Vice President, Afaha Ube Itam; Etinam Tom, CLO, Afaha Ube Itam; Effiong Effiong Ekong, CLO, Nwut Usiong Itam explained that “The project was awarded on 9^th April, 2018 by Akwa Ibom State Government through the awarding Ministry (Ministry of Works) to Tegrach Nig. LTD. The above project was abandoned from 19th July, 2018 to the present date after drains and earthwork have been done. During the duration of the work, a lot of issues have been left unresolved till date, like payment to sub-contractors, workers’ salaries and other entitlements”.

Further explaining the root cause of the impasse between AKROIMA, the awarded construction company, Tegrach and their workers, the youths of the three communities called for calm and the need for the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Works and other stakeholders to wade into the matter so it will not snowball into unimaginable disaster and crises, “Recently, Akwa Ibom State Road Maintenance And Other Infrastructural Agency mobilized their equipment (earth moving machines) to the project site. On Wednesday 31 august 2022, the youth protested at the site of the project to know the position of things regarding the job as related to their unpaid wages, subcontractors payments, rents and other entitlements owed by Tegrach Nig. Ltd and the overall status of the job. In addressing the protesting youths, the Chairman of Akwa Ibom Road Maintenance And Other Infrastructural Agency, Obong Godwin Ntukudeh pleaded with the youths to allow AKROIMA to take over the job from its present status to completion status. The youths of the affected Communities today 7 September 2022 protested again at the project site against the takeover of the job by AKROIMA sighting technical deficiencies, lack of capacity, lack of competence and lack of antecedents in project delivery as evident in the shoddy rehabilitation of Nelson Mandela road and unresolved issues surrounding Tegrach Nig. Ltd”.

The youths resolved as follows “1. The Akwa Ibom Road Maintenance And Other Infrastructural Agency should within 48hrs demobilized and vacate the site for lack of capacity, lack of competence, lack of antecedents and lack of technicalities 2. The Tegrach Nig. Ltd should within 7 days come up with plans to pay all outstanding debts owed workers, subcontractors and other entitlements else we will seek redress in a court of competent jurisdiction”.

In his remarks, the Supervisor Staff/Security officer to Tegrach Nig. Ltd., Comrade Kin Solomon decried the hardship faced by the staffers of the company as some of them have died as a result of shock and maltreatment by the company while others are permanently incapacitated given the work hazard they had on while on duty. He called on the government to call Tegrach Nig. Ltd to order by asking the company to pay them their entitlements. Comrade Solomon while answering questions agreed that they (staffers) got the traditional injunction from a native doctor and placed there until their money is paid to the latter before that could be reversed.

Speaking to Century Newsfront, one of the elders of the community who pleaded anonymity appreciated the prompt intervention of youths of the three communities, saying that their intervention has brought to an end impending bloodshed, “I saw the workers who are all young people when they came out to demonstrate the non-payment of their entitlements owed by the contracted company, Tegrach Nig. Ltd, they were so fierce in appearance, chanted war songs and came with some items and placed traditional injunction on the machines and other equipment brought in by AKROIMA. I think their grouse was correct. They were saying, ‘how comes that they were working for the company and this company owed them for years and today, the state government sent its agents to do the work while their entitlements were not paid for years. If not for the prompt intervention of the youth leaders, today, it would have been another story. I think their demands are genuine, the government should call on Tegrach Nig. Ltd. to settle those that worked for them before embarking on the project to forestall the unnecessary crises. I also heard that the youth leaders on their own part said that AKROIMA should not be given the work to do, yes, I support it because AKROIMA is only a maintenance agency, not a construction company”.

Also speaking to Century Newsfront, a firewood trader in the area by name, Mrs. Ikopima Asuquo observed that the road would serve as a good connection as it links three communities of Afaha Ube, Nwut Usiong and Ikot Abasi Itam to the famous Etaha Itam Market. She regretted the dearth of their businesses due to the bad condition of the roads which, according to her would also pave way for traffic to divert and decongest the market, “these three roads serve as an economic hub to the state because of the Itam market. If the government could taken seriously constructing it, the heavy traffic by Itam market would have been avoided and diverted to this road while our goods are brought in freely. So I want to call on our amiable governor to please, consider us the market women that sell along this road by constructing the road to ease the tension of bad road”.

The Chairman Akwa Ibom Road Maintenance And Other Infrastructural Agency, Obong Godwin Ntukudeh when visited in his office to clear the air on some of the issues raised absconded out of his office at press time, an action interpreted by many in different ways.

In his response, the Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga while on a phone conversation told newsmen that the issue is being handled and very soon, the solution that all parties involved would be made public. The Works Commissioner noted that everyone should join hands in support of the peaceful disposition of the present administration led by Mr. Udom Emmanuel by preaching peaching and acting peace, irrespective of the circumstance one may find himself.