Prince (Engr) Ezon-ebi Ernest Angodideke, a Niger Delta activist has called on His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to complete the Ayakoromo Bridge Project from the Ibori loot of £4.2m that was recovered by the US and returned to the state through the Federal Government on Tuesday 25th May, 2021.
The Ayakoromo-born youth leader in a chat with Thepeoplesvoicengr has expressed worry over the slow pace of work on the Ayakoromo bridge project, noting that Gov. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa on two occasions made public promise to complete this project during his 2015 and 2019 gubernatorial campaigns. Though, it’s a project that was initiated and started with very minimal workdone by his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.
Engr. Ezon-ebi also recalled that sometime last year, the Commissioner for Works, Hon. James Augoye and other top government functionaries visited the project site, reiterated Okowa’s commitment to completing and commissioning the project in his second term.
Counting from the last months of Udughan’s second term in office, the Ayakoromo bridge project is over seven (7) years since it was awarded but it still lacks government interest.
In same light, we can recall that Okowa did mentioned during the 2021 budget presentation that the project shall be completed in the second quarter of 2021. In a gasp now, the second quarter shall pave way for the third quarter with just June standing inbetween, yet the project is still at the pillar level.
Furthermore, Angodideke pleaded with His Excellency to disregard untrue speculations surrounding the bridge, should rather see the potentials of the bridge to open up and link Burutu, Bomadi, Ughelli South, and Ughelli North Local Government Areas together, which will in turn upturn the socio-economy of the people, and will also boost the Delta State Internal Generated Revenue (IGR).
Though, the Delta State Government at the event of the £4.2m loot discovery had written the Federal Government some projects the funds could be utilized on across the state.
However, considering the epileptic release of funds by the state government for the bridge project, Okowa should include it as one of the projects to be funded with the recovered £4.2m.
The government of “Prosperity For All Deltans” should note that Ayakoromo as a PDP ward in his first and second gubernatorial ambitions stood by His Excellency, and largely delivered, which jointly gave birth to the reality of his governorship ambition on the first and repeated terms.
