Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has directed contractors handling the Ebonyi State University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering in Ezza South Local Government Area to accelerate construction, declaring that the state government had fulfilled its financial obligations to them.
Nwifuru gave the directive on Monday during an inspection of ongoing work at the permanent site of the specialised university, expressing concern over the pace of construction and the urgent need to provide adequate facilities for students already being admitted into the institution.
The governor said the project, alongside the state-owned ICT University, was conceived as a major intervention in specialised tertiary education and must be delivered in line with its academic mandate.
He said contractors should immediately communicate any challenges affecting execution to the government rather than allow such obstacles to stall the projects.
According to him, “Please inform me of any actions the government can take that are within my reach. Expose it and escalate it to me immediately. Because I know I am not owing any of the contractors here one kobo. They are the ones owing us.”
Nwifuru urged the contractors to deploy the resources already made available to them and improve the pace of execution, stressing that government would intensify monitoring of projects after payments had been made.
“Once they receive our money, we should follow them up. That’s why we are just dedicated to doing this job,” he said.
The governor directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka, and other relevant officials to tighten supervision and put pressure on the contractors to ensure timely delivery.
He noted that terminating the contracts could create additional delays because of the time required to re-award them, urging the contractors to improve performance rather than compel government to take such measures.
Nwifuru also emphasised that the aerospace university required specialised infrastructure, including aircraft, functional workshops, an apron and other facilities necessary for practical training in aeronautics and aerospace engineering.
He said the urgency of completing the permanent campus had increased because admission was already ongoing, while available facilities in Abakaliki could not adequately accommodate the expected student population.
The university has reportedly admitted close to 200 students across 25 departments, with academic activities expected to commence temporarily at the ICT University, Oferekpe, pending completion of the permanent campus.
The governor further directed a review of the university’s master plan, particularly the location of the main entrance.
Following recommendations from the university management and other officials, he approved the adjustment of the entrance to connect directly with the major road instead of routing traffic through the airport axis.
He said the revised access arrangement should improve safety, ease traffic movement and provide direct access to the university’s major facilities, while also aligning with the proposed Senate building.
Nwifuru subsequently directed the relevant authorities to incorporate the adjustment into the master plan and ensure that ongoing construction conforms to the revised design.
The governor acknowledged that contractors had encountered challenges, including the waterlogged nature of the project site and access difficulties, but said the project had already gone through two dry seasons and therefore required a significant acceleration in execution.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to closely monitor strategic projects across the state and collaborate with contractors and university authorities to remove bottlenecks and ensure timely completion.
The governor appealed to all stakeholders involved in the project to cooperate with the government, stressing that the specialised institution must be equipped to deliver quality education and practical training in aeronautics and aerospace engineering.
