Nigeria: Tension In Akwa Ibom Over Road Construction

Tension In A'Ibom Over Road Construction

Some communities in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, are becoming restive over an alleged ''massive'' destruction of their property by a road construction firm, Gitto Construction Limited.

The company is part of those handling the East-West Highway, from Oron-Eket-Onna. AkanimoReports gathered from local sources in Ikot Ibiok, an Eket community that no move is being made yet by the company to compensate them.

Already, a community-based group, Community Watch of Nigeria (CWN) is mediating in the conflict between the company and the local people with a view to preventing it from boiling over.

Co-ordinator of the group, Samingo Etukakpan, told AkanimoReports on Monday that they have been meeting with the company. According to him, “Gitto has given us cause to believe and trust that the road under construction by them will soon be completed and all the affected persons compensated”

The group claimed the new site engineer of the company, Ghanem Rasbieh, has injected what they described as ''administrative dexterity'' towards the speedy completion of the road.

Etukakpan said their project monitors have done a site inspection of the road being constructed and were satisfied that the company was doing a good job.

The road construction was however, slowed down cy communal agitation. It is at the moment on the up neat following the intervention of Rasbieh, with the payment of outstanding debt owed some sub-contractors, and his promise of facilitating the payment of compensation to the affected individuals and committees, from Oron to parts of Eket.

An appeal has gone to communities affected by the road construction to co-operate with the company and create a conducive atmosphere for them to work even as their restive youths have also been urged to remain calm and law abiding.

The Eket communities are accusing the company of not being socially responsible. The community group said the communities expected them to provide water and recreational parks in Eket and in Oron Federal Constituencies to boast their image.

Reacting, Rasbieh said Gitto was satisfied with the efforts of the community group and what he described as ''their community service to peopl'', and assure d that the company will not only deliver the job on time, ''we will try to put smiles on the faces of the community people''.

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