By Okey Maduforo Awka.
The ongoing construction of the New Anambra Government House and Governors Lodge would be ready for occupation this coming December.
Also work on the eight lane dual carriage road leading to the Government House is nearing completion while the fresh road construction leading from Awka to Mgbakwu in Awka North local government area would also be ready for use this December.
Recall that the project was awarded during the military regime of Col Mike Attah to Oil Construction Company at the cost of N600 million with an Irrevocable Standing Payment ISPO of N10 Million from the source of Anambra Federal Allocations.
The project was however stopped as well as the payment order by the regime of Sen Chris Ngige as governor following controversies surrounding the execution of the project.
According to the Commissioner for Works Engr Ifeanyi Okeoma who spoke to reporters this Thursday the governor cannot be leaving in a rented building and be traveling everyday from Awka to Amawbia adding that Anambra state needs a befitting Government House.
“You can see for yourself that work has reached very advanced stage and you can also see that out of the over sixteen buildings inside the Government House compound thirteen has been completed including the Governor’s lodge and the secretariat of the Complex”
“By and large the New Government House Awka would be ready for use this coming December and we are deliberate about what we are doing”
“You can also see the eight lane dual carriage road which used to be four lanes have reached advanced stages and we are connecting the road to Mgbakwu in Awka North local government area ” he said.
Also speaking the Contractor for the New Government House Project who is the CEO of Iyk Jordan Group Nig Ltd Engr Ikechukwu Nnahazi confirmed the submissions of Okeoma noting if all things being equal the governor would pack into the building this December.
“We had wanted him to move in here earlier before December but you know as projects progress challenges come here and there and we had to find a way to get them settled”
Nnahazi further said ; “If all things being equal December is possible and you know that it is a very very serious situation with the cost of materials generally”
“,It might interest you to know that we got this job when cement was N2.700 .00 and that was two years ago and now it is over N10,000.00 and at some point we bought cement at N15,000.00 per bag ”
He however expressed gratitude to Gov Charles Soludo who had to intervene in several ways to assist us in the procurement of materials adding that it has to a large extent made the December deadline possible.
