Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered contractors handling the University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering and other signature projects across the state to accelerate construction, warning that unnecessary delays will not be allowed to undermine his administration's development agenda.
Nwifuru gave the directive on Monday while inspecting ongoing projects as part of activities marking the 30th anniversary of Ebonyi State and Nigeria's 66th Independence Day Celebration.
At the permanent site of the Ebonyi State University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering in Ezza, the governor expressed concern over the pace of construction, despite acknowledging progress recorded on some components of the project.
He directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka, to intensify supervision and increase pressure on the contractors to ensure faster delivery.
“I want to sound this way to the Honourable Commissioner for Tertiary Education: as a man who has been in charge of this job, you ought to tighten the belt and increase the pressure on the contractors to enable them to do a better job and work faster because time waits for nobody,” Nwifuru said.
The governor said the contractors had attributed the slow pace of work partly to the waterlogged nature of the site and poor access roads, but noted that the project had gone through about two dry seasons.
He expressed concern that admission into the specialised university had already commenced while the permanent campus was still under construction.
“You heard from the Vice-Chancellor of the institution that admission is already ongoing. We have no space to accommodate a lot of the students in Abakaliki,” he said.
Nwifuru stressed that the university's facilities must reflect its specialised mandate in aeronautics, aerospace engineering and information and communication technology.
He said the institution would require specialised infrastructure, including an aircraft, functional workshops and an apron, while the entire development must conform to an approved master plan.
The governor consequently directed that the university's master plan be reviewed to accommodate a more suitable main entrance and ordered that the entrance be aligned with the proposed Senate building.
Earlier, Omaka endorsed the proposed adjustment to the access route, explaining that the existing master plan had envisaged the main entrance from another axis but could be modified to accommodate emerging considerations.
He assured the governor that the ministry would step up supervision of the project and work with the contractors to accelerate construction and ensure that the university's infrastructure matched its academic mandate.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Patrick Akata Nwofe, had proposed that the main entrance be routed from the edge of the adjoining primary school rather than directly through the airport road.
Nwofe said the alternative access route would improve the visibility of the university while reducing anticipated congestion and road-safety risks associated with increased traffic along the airport route.
The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that admission was ongoing across 25 departments, with close to 200 students already admitted.
He said the approved academic programmes cut across the faculties of Engineering, Science and Computing, among others, adding that academic activities would commence temporarily from the ICT University site at Oferekpe pending completion of the permanent campus.
Nwofe expressed optimism that substantial portions of the permanent site would be delivered within the projected timeframe.
The governor also inspected the Reward Estate for public servants and other deserving Ebonyians, which he said was between 80 and 90 per cent complete.
Nwifuru said the estate was conceived as a reward scheme rather than a commercial housing project, stressing that the houses would neither be sold nor allocated indiscriminately.
He said beneficiaries would be selected on the basis of their contributions and service to the state, including professionals and other individuals who had distinguished themselves in their respective fields.
At the ongoing VANCO Flyover and Tunnel project, the governor said construction had been slowed by difficult geological conditions, particularly extensive rock formations that required prolonged blasting.
He said the state government had supported the contractor in certain areas to facilitate construction while maintaining cost control and ensuring that quality was not compromised.
According to him, the project comprises a flyover, bridges, service lanes and a tunnel equipped with security, water and electricity infrastructure.
Nwifuru said the administration was determined to complete and commission the project within its projected timeline, describing it as one of the signature infrastructure projects designed to transform transportation in the state.
He reiterated that the government would continue to closely monitor contractors handling its projects, particularly those who had received public funds, to ensure timely and quality delivery.
“Once they receive our money, we should follow them up. That's why we are just dedicated to doing this job,” the governor said.
He said the government would continue to work with contractors rather than prematurely terminate projects, arguing that re-awarding contracts could cause further delays in their completion.
The inspection formed part of activities marking Ebonyi's 30th anniversary and was aimed at assessing the progress of strategic projects, identifying implementation bottlenecks and deploying necessary interventions to ensure their timely completion.
