A 12.5 km road traversing Ikot Akpan Afaha and Ikot Oku Usung in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has been inaugurated by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Duoye Diri.
Inaugurating the 12.5 km road with a spur, Friday, at Ikot Akpan Afaha in Ukanafun Local Government Area, the Bayelsa State Governor described the road project initiated and completed by the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration as a significant infrastructure put in place to transform the socio-economic landscape of the area.
Sen. Diri acknowledged that the 12.5km road remains a strategic project which will promote economic and social development in the community.
Governor Diri who was the special guest at the event described Governor Udom Emmanuel as a noiseless achiever, a pacesetter, and a man of character, thanking him for putting smiles on the faces of the people of Ukanafun, by extension the state.
He added that the administration of Governor Emmanuel has witnessed superlative transformation occasioned by the massive provision of democratic dividends to the people.
“We are here to celebrate a man who has performed, a working governor for the people who hitherto had been denied a very significant infrastructure, of all infrastructure there is one outstanding infrastructure.
“The moment you link up a community you have actually brought civilization to that community with a road and you have also opened up that community for economic and social development. The governor of Akwa Ibom is doing these things noiselessly,” he remarked.
The Bayelsa state Governor, therefore thanked the people of Ukanafun and Akwa Ibom for supporting Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and urged the people to extend the same support to the governor-elect, Pastor Umo Eno.
Earlier, Governor Udom Emmanuel noted that the 12.5km Ikot Akpan Afaha – Ikot Oku Usung road in Ukanafun is one of the projects executed in line with the eight-point agenda of his administration which gives priority to rural development.
He revealed that beyond road projects, electricity, and hospital projects will be inaugurated after he leaves office on May 29, 2023.
On the Ukanafun General Hospital rehabilitation project, the Governor assured of its completion, saying his administration would provide the necessary logistics that will ensure the completion of the hospital and thanked the people of Ukanafun for their support during the general elections.
The state Chief Executive particularly appreciated Sen. Douye Diri, for honouring the invitation to inaugurate the road project which he said is significant as it links many communities including that of the immediate past state party Chairman, the late Hon. Udo Ekpenyong.
“We promised that throughout this season we want to go into the rural areas specifically to appreciate and also let the world see that in our second term when we expanded to the 8-point agenda, rural development was key in the agenda we had. Today we have road infrastructure, electricity, cottage hospitals, water schemes, and small food processing industries all over the rural areas”, Mr Emmanuel said.
Presenting an overview of the project, Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga, stated that the road with a 12.5km stretch has side drains and is constructed in line with international standards.
Prof Ibanga also said the road has a 150mm laterite stone base and 150mm crush stone base course, a 50mm asphalt drains course, and six outfall drains that evacuated water from the road.
He thanked the governor for giving the people of Ukanafun a road infrastructure that will enhance their socio-economic well-being.
In their goodwill messages, Member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam in the House of Representatives, Hon. Unyime Idem, former Member of, the House of Representatives and the political leader of Ukanafun, Hon. Eno Akpan, State Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Elder Aniekan Akpan, and the Chairman of Ukanafun local government area, Mr Godwin Inyeng, thanked Governor Udom Emmanuel for providing the people of Ukanafun with essential infrastructure which will turn around the economy of the community.
Hon Unyime Idem described the governor as a leader who has left an indelible mark in the annals of Ukanafun, pointing out that the road project has given the community a facelift which will encourage economic activities and pledged their loyalty to the governor and the incoming administration.
In a vote of thanks, the Managing Director of AYF Development Company, Mr. Fadi Aboulhosn, thanked Governor Emmanuel for allowing them to be part of history in Ukanafun and thanked the people of Ukanafun for creating a friendly environment during the project execution.
