Firm Identifies Hindrance To Speedy Construction Work On Odukpani-Itu Highway

Restates quality delivery
An indigenous construction company handling a section of the federal road project linking Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, Sermatech Construction Company, has restated its commitment to deliver on the project. It, however, identified some hindrances and challenges it was facing.

Speaking to select reporters on tour of the project, which recently received mixed reactions; a condemnation from a group of concerned stakeholders in Cross River State and a commendation from the Minister for Works, who inspected the work a month ago, the Site Agent, Sermatech Nigeria Ltd, Joe Okpata, said: “So far, the company has covered 40 per cent of its scope of work and the project is a five-year project, which started in 2021 and will end in 2026.”

He said Sermatech is handling the section of the road from the Odukpani power plant to Oku-Iboku, which is a 28.6-kilometre dual carriageway and made up of four bridges, drainages, caves and over 50 culverts.

Okpata said the hindrance they faced was the issue of compensation, which was not under their purview.

“There are sections where people have built structures and have farms and they are not given right of way, insisting on compensation. So you see areas where we leave out and rather work in areas we have right of way.”

He added that the issue should be handled by the government, both federal and state, in order to enable the company meet up with its commitment.

The site agent regretted that the group calling for revocation of their contract was doing so from a standpoint of ignorance.

He said the portion captured by the forum in their claims against Sermatech was not under the purview of Sermatech Nigeria Ltd.

“It’s better to seek proper information in order not to mislead the public or embark on campaign of calumny,” he said.

Okpata said Sermatech had the capacity and expertise to handle the 38.6-kilometre stretch of the Calabar-Itu road construction spanning Ikot-Nyong in Odukpani Local Government in Cross River State to Oku-Iboku in Itu Local Government of Akwa Ibom State.

He said the bottleneck was not Sermatech.

“People are happy with our quality of work and it’s important that serious indigenous companies should be encouraged, as it helps reduce dollar and capital flight.”

Another official seen at the project site, the Head, Pigment Evaluation Unit, Department of Material Geotechnics, Ministry of Works, Olamide Bamgboye, who was on the project audit and compliance check, said the essence was to ensure the company had not exited the quality of materials recommended and to also certify that the samples were in order.

The Minister of Works, while on inspection of the project a month ago, expressed satisfaction about the quality of work and the pace Sermatech had gone on the project.