By Joseph ETTA in Calabar
The presidential adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang has disclosed that construction work will soon commence on the Calabar-Itu Highway, stating that the construction giant, Julius Berger has been re-awarded the contract.
According to him, the firm stopped work in July 2019 after an instalment of 2.2 Billion Naira approved by the president for the project in 2019 was slashed to 1.1 Billion Naira.
The president aide in a chat with Daybreak explained that the said sum of money was to be the second tranche of payment to the construction firm, adding that of the 54 Billion Naira approved for the project, an agreement was reached for 15% of the contract (N8.1 Billion Naira to be paid), the amount in the budget was not enough for the whole 15% to be paid.
However, he stated that 3.5 Billion Naira was paid to Julius Berger to commence work. Meanwhile, the 3 termed Senator has carpeted the legislator from Akwa Ibom State and Cross River representative in the National Assembly for failure to ensure that the approved earn marked for the construction of the Highway was not reduced by the National Assembly.
It will be recalled that Daybreak scooped the story on the deplorable state of the road 3 weeks ago, where 13 federal Legislator on oversight function to Cross River State spend 6 hours between Itu in Akwa Ibom State and Calabar in Cross River State.
