The Government of Delta State on
Wednesday said the Ayakoromo Bridge linking Burutu and Ughelli South Local
Government Areas in the state would be vigorously executed as a top priority
project.
The Commissioner for Works,
Chief James Augoye, made the disclosure in Ayakoromo while speaking to newsmen
shortly after inspecting ongoing construction of the bridge linking Ayakoromo
in Burutu and Egbo-Ideh community in Ughelli South Local Government Area.
He stated that the
project whose contract was awarded in 2013 was one of the critical
infrastructure inherited from the previous administration.
Augoye said that the
project had a budgetary provision of N1 billion in the 2020 budget and was the
only project not affected by the recent downward review of the budget as a
result of economic downturn occasioned by prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
He disclosed that more
funds would be released to the contractor soon to enable it to mobilise back to
site to complete the piling works in the water. He said that with work at 68.5
per cent completed, the project would be up-scaled in 2021 and ensure that it
was completed before the end of the administration in 2023.
The commissioner
thanked the Ayakoromo community for the cooperation given to the contractor,
saying ``the governor specifically directed me to visit the site to see what is
happening here.
``From what I have
seen, the contractor has not mobilised fully back to site, although there are
some skeletal works going on here; he has assured me that they will mobilise
fully from Monday.
"I want to assure
the community and the contractor that the governor has taken this bridge as a
top priority project.
"This is the only
project whose cost was not reduced in the reviewed budget; it has a provision
of N1billion in the revised 2020 budget and we intend to scale it up in the
2021 budget.
"The governor has also assured me that by
next week, he is going to release funds to the contractor to facilitate the
work.
``I appeal to the
contractor to ensure that he returns fully to site by next week to complete the
piling work, and once that is done, the work is as good as completed."
Augoye said that the project suffered funding
challenges until Governor Okowa took assumed office in 2015.
"The project was
awarded in 2013 and has been facing so much funding challenges, but when
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa took over in 2015, he decided that this is one the
projects that must be completed in the life time of his administration.
"So, it is our
desire that this project will be completed and inaugurated before the end of
this administration in 2023.
"As you can see,
the piling work is almost completed and from the record before me, the
contractor has achieved 68.5 per cent of the job which means that once the river
piling is completed, the job will be delivered at the shortest possible
time," he stated.
Chairman of Ayakoromo
community, Mr Miekoromo Moses, thanked the governor for the project and
appealed for more funding to it to be completed on time.
"We, the entire people of Ayakoromo
community appreciate Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for embarking on this bridge
project since he came into office, and has brought the project to a reasonable
level.
"We also express
our appreciation to the governor for making out time to visit the project in
spite of the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
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