Right of way encroachment hindering progress work on Odukpani/Itu highway

The Federal Government has said that encroachment into right of way was hindering progress of work of the dualisation of the Odukpani/Itu highway.

Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, stated this while inspecting progress of work on the highway on Thursday at Odukpani, near Calabar in Cross River.

The minister who was represented by Mr Folorunsho Esan, noted that aside the challenges of right of way, the ministry has overcome the issue of funding on the project.

He appealed to Gov Ben Ayade to help resolve the issue so that the contractor can complete the dualisation work on scheduled.

The minister who expressed satisfaction with the level of work from the Odukpani axis of the highway been handled by Julius Berger said that the job would be delivered by middle of 2023.

According to him, “We are encouraged with the level and quality for work done so far by Julius Berger handling the 21.9km from Odukpani to somewhere near the power plant.

“Our major and only challenge for now is that of right of ways. Government has for long paid compensation for this but I dont know why people are still on the right of way.

“As a matter of fact, this is delaying progress of work and we want the governor to assist in this regard since the land belong to the State and they are his people.”

At the Okuiboku/Itu power plant section been handled by Sermatech, the minister who expressed satisfaction with their work, however encouraged them to do more in order to deliver the project by November 2023.

Mr Kehinde Bakare, Site Manager for Julius Berger, said that no fewer than 3km of the section of the road have been asphalt while a bridge and number of convet have been constructed.

“We have also done quite some kilometres of earth work and we have not issue with payment,” he stated.

Similarly, Mr Joseph Ukpata, site manager for Sermatech, explained that from the four bridges they are to contruct from the 28.6 km section of the highway, three are been worked on simultaneously.

“We have also constructed 25 convets from the 46 on the section and we working simultaneously on 12 locations on the section.

“Our challenge is the right of way. If this is sorted out, we can crash the deadline for delivery of the project even with the 11km running through swamp on the section,” he stated.

The controller of works in Cross River, Mr Bassey Ekanem, gave the total kilometres of the entire project to be 87km and that it is been handled by three construction firm.