The federal government has approved the sum of N185 billion for three major construction firms for the dualisation of the Calabar-Itu federal highway.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, who disclosed this yesterday while inspecting the progress of work on the road listed the firms handling the road project to include Julius Berger, SERMATECH and CCECC.

The federal road that links Akwa Ibom and Cross River States had been in a deplorable stage over a decade with commuters subjected to severe suffering and economic loss.

He said the first phase of the contract was awarded to Julius Berger to the tune of N54 billion with construction from Odukpani LGA in Cross River State and Ibiono Ibom LGA in Akwa Ibom State axis of the highway.

On the hand, SERMATECH was given the sum of N79 billion to construct the road as well as four bridges and the sum of its N52 billion was given to CCECC.

Enang explained that the funding of the road was from over N600 billion raised from tax credit window by the Federal Inland Revenue Service from the NNPC to fund critical infrastructure mainly roads, which Akwa Ibom/Calabar road project was given N185billion.

He assured the people that the project would be completed with dualised carriage by April 2023, saying the funds had been made available. He also urged the people to be patient and cooperative with contractors handling the project.

We have been having problems of getting funding for the road, but Mr. President has asked me to assure you that we raised money from the tax credit window from federal inland revenue service to the NNPC to fund critical infrastructure mainly road infrastructure.

This road was designed for dualisation since 1972 and only one lane of the four lanes was constructed believing that others would be constructed since then.

Thank God, President Muhammadu Buhari has started constructing other lanes with four bridges and he has promised to complete it within the time frame,

he added.

Enang who commended the engineers for being on site and working to meet delivery target despite the yuletide, regretted that Julius Berger failed to come to site with the claims that they must observe their holiday even as he enjoined other companies to borrow a leaf from SERMATECH in offering a selfless service.

The SERMATECH site representative, Engr Joseph Upata said the company had reviewed the time frame of the completion of the project from three years to two saying the road would be completed by April 2023.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.