Terminate Eket-Ibeno Road contract, Akpabio tells NDDC

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has again expressed his displeasure over the delay in the completion of Eket-Ibeno Road in Akwa Ibom State and has urged, as a matter of urgency, the Niger Delta Development Commission, overseeing the construction, to terminate the contract.
Akpabio, who was speaking on Friday during a traditional marriage between Innocent Idibia (Tuface), the music icon, and Anie Macaulay at The Apostolic Church High School, Esit Urua in Eket Local Government Area, berated the slow pace and shoddy work by the contractor handling the road.
He lamented that for more than 10 years, the NDDC has been handling the construction of the road and wondered why the delay in the completion of such important road, a major artery to Qua Iboe Terminal, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Ibeno, one of the major producers of crude oil in the country.
The governor recalled his meeting with the contractor handling the road, who complained of non-payment by NDDC, and appealed to the commission to pay up to enable the contractor to hand over the job or re-award it to a more competent firm.
Akpabio, who apologised to the people to bear with him over the bumpy nature of the road, noted that the road does not depict the modern Akwa Ibom State many Nigerians have known and come to identify with.
He said he would provide the people of the area with a dualised road as soon as its contract is revoked.
Pledging to construct the road as a memorial of Macaulay’s marriage, he congratulated Idibia on his traditional marriage and donated two ‘Prado’ jeeps to the couple with a promise to send a 20-man delegation to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for their wedding ceremony.
The governor said marriage is not a bed of roses, particularly as there are so many challenges facing it and advised the couple to always sleep and pray together for sustainability of the union.
According to him: “A successful marriage is the beginning of greatness.
“If you have a stable home, you will have a great career.
“Let the people pray for them to stay together.
“It is God who can sustain a marriage.
“Let this marriage serve as the door to your prosperity, fame and glory.”