The Federal Government has commissioned a gully erosion and flood control project in Akpene Eket and environs in the Eket Local Government Area (LGA) of Akwa Ibom State.

The project to stop flooding and gully erosion ravaging some parts of the LGA was executed through the Ecological Fund Office (EFO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

Dr. Okey Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the commissioning ceremony, stated that the Federal Government is committed to tackling ecological challenges, and is confident that such interventions will bring a huge relief to the affected communities.

The project is one of the 26 Federal Government ecological intervention projects for the second quarter of 2017 approved by President Buhari on the 10th of April 2017. The contract was awarded by the Ecological Fund Office Tenders Board (EFOTB) on 30th May, 2017.

After the inspection of the three sites remediated under this project, Enelamah said: “From the visit to the remediated sites, I am happy about the quality of work done and the takeaway is that this Government is a ‘Doing Government’, committed to project completion.

“Also, the approval of this project by Mr. President is a testimony of his administration’s promise not to allow any part of the country suffers neglect, irrespective of geographical location or political consideration.”

The Minister said that the Buhari Administration is determined to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, which over the years has been characterised by a gap too wide to effectively support economic growth and job creation.

“The administration is focused on rebuilding and modernising strategic national infrastructure to spur economic growth and development; a viable and sustainable way of increasing jobs, and improving living standards.”

He noted that although countries around the world are facing various environmental challenges from unusually heavy rains causing devastating floods and massive erosion, the Federal Government is resolved to addressing the needs of the affected areas in the country.

Expressing his happiness to be associated with the commissioning of the worthy project as a Special Guest of Honour, Minister Enelamah formally commissioned and handed over the project to the Akpene Eket communities.

He congratulated the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, and his team in the Ecological Fund Office (EFO), the Project Contractor, Messrs Munaish Investment Nigeria Limited, as well as the Project Consultant, Messrs AAP and Partnership International Ltd for their doggedness in ensuring the speedy completion of the project.

He also expressed appreciation of the Federal Government to the State and Eket LGA Governments, as well as the Akpene Eket communities for their co-operation and efforts at ensuring a peaceful environment for project execution.

Reminding the communities of the need for a healthy maintenance culture, he implored them to ensure effectiveness of the project by preventing indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainage channels.

“It is the responsibility of the communities to take proud ownership of the project and to embrace a maintenance culture that will ensure its sustainability,” he said.

•Okey Enelamah, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment (middle) at the commissioning ceremony in Akwa Ibom.

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