Wike commissions new roads, commends Udom on legacy projects

Group bemoans the state of federal highways in S’South

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the legacy projects of his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Udom Emmanuel, will create employment opportunities for the youths of the state.

He stated this at the commissioning of 13.2-kilometre roads and foundation laying ceremony of the Akwa Ibom State University Teaching Hospital in Onna Council, yesterday.

Wike commended Udom for his performance, saying his legacy projects would create more employment opportunities for Akwa Ibom people.

He said he was surprised that Udom had several projects to showcase in one day adding that the petrochemical factory in Eastern Obolo was capable of generating thousands of opportunities in the state, while the new teaching hospital would reduce the number of people who would be going to Uyo for healthcare services.

He expressed satisfaction over the quality of the road, noting that it would boost economic activities in the rural communities, adding that the teaching hospital project was a product of a partnership with Bua Group, which announced the first tranche of N2.5 billion support for the project.

At Eastern Obolo Council, Wike also laid the foundation for the Sterling Petrochemicals and Fertiliser Production Factory.

BESIDES, Akwa Ibom indigenes in the Diaspora, under the auspices of Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria (AKISAN), have flayed the deplorable state of federal roads in the South-South region.

National President of the group in the United States of America (USA), Itoro Akpan-Iquot, stated this in Uyo yesterday, lamenting the poor state of federal roads in the region, especially the Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene highway.

He noted that the state government had done well in human capacity development and the aviation sector and appealed for improvement on its achievements by intervening on the Akwa Ibom end of the Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene way.

Akpan-Iquot lamented that bad leadership was part of the challenges facing the country and advised the electorate to vote their conscience during the 2023 general elections.

“I have seen that the current administration in Akwa Ibom State has done well. Overall they have done well, but one area I want the governor to improve on roads. I went to Calabar and noticed that the road is bad. I returned with headache and stomachache,” he said.