In spite of duplicated financial allotments facing billions of naira for 8 jobs arranged for inauguration, the Akwa Ibom federal government has actually not openly revealed their agreement amounts or procurement records.
President Bola Tinubu is arranged to commission 8 significant tasks in Akwa Ibom State on Friday, however concerns surrounding billions of naira assigned to the jobs and the federal government’s compliance with public procurement laws have actually cast a shadow over the inaugurations.
The jobs consist of the Airport-Okopedi Road, Ring Road 3, AKWA-GIS Office Complex, Command and Control Centre, ARISE Palm Resort, the International Terminal Building, International Airport Hospital and Ibom Aviation Village.
The presidency revealed on Thursday that Mr Tinubu would check out Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Friday to commission the jobs carried out by the administration of Governor Umo Eno before going to an All Progressives Congress political rally in neighboring Rivers State.
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An assessment of succeeding budget plan files by PREMIUM TIMES reveals that a lot of the jobs brought in considerable allotments in between 2023 and 2026, yet their initial agreement amounts, professionals’ information and procurement records are not openly available.
The lack of these records raises concerns about compliance with the Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Law, which needs the federal government to release procurement info on its electronic website.
Billions in succeeding spending plans
An evaluation of the state federal government’s spending plan files reveals that the Airport-Okopedi Road, a 14.5-kilometre roadway linking neighborhoods in Nsit Atai and Okobo Local Government Areas, has actually brought in duplicated financial arrangements.
The task, which goes back to the administration of previous Governor Godswill Akpabio and continued under his follower, Udom Emmanuel, has actually experienced application difficulties, consisting of the cancellation of some agreements along the path.
Under the present administration, the very first stage, recorded in the spending plans as the re-award of the agreement for the dualisation of the 14.5-kilometre Airport-Okopedi Road, got N3 billion in the 2023 modified budget plan, N8.5 billion in 2024, N23 billion in 2025 and another N15 billion in the 2026 spending plan.
These arrangements total up to N49.5 billion over the 4 spending plan cycles.
Another significant roadway job set up for inauguration is the dualisation of the 7.868-kilometre Ring Road 3, which links Idoro Road to Ikot Ekpene Road through Uyo and Ibiono Ibom.
The task, dealt with by Hensek Servicesdrew in N21 billion in the 2024 budget plan, N15 billion in 2025 and N13 billion in 2026, bringing its cumulative financial arrangements to N49 billion.
Regardless of the scale of the allowances, PREMIUM TIMES might not discover the initial agreement amount or get openly available procurement records detailing the award and application of the task.
The ARISE Palm Resort, another significant tourist job started by the administration and noted for inauguration, likewise got considerable allowances.
The state allocated N29.99 billion for the building of the resort in 2025 and another N10 billion in 2026.
An extra N5 billion was offered erosion-control centers around the resort and linked to Udo Inwang Street, near the resort.
The resort belongs to Governor Eno’s tourist advancement program, which has actually included significant public financial investments in leisure and hospitality facilities.
PREMIUM TIMES had formerly reported issues about the lack of procurement records and agreement information for the administration’s Ibom ARISE Park and Resort job.
The paper discovered that the federal government had actually not released the agreement amount, procurement documents or bidding records for the job on the state procurement website.
The International Terminal Building at the Victor Attah International Airport has actually likewise drawn in considerable allowances under the Eno administration.
The state offered N21.1 billion in the 2023 modified spending plan, N14.35 billion in 2024, N16.2 billion in 2025 and N8 billion in the 2026 budget plan for the job.
The allotments amount to N59.65 billion throughout the 4 budget plan cycles.
The terminal, nevertheless, provides a different responsibility concern since it was currently commissioned by previous Senate President Bukola Saraki on 26 May 2023, soon before Mr Emmanuel left workplace.
In May 2025, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Governor Eno stated he acquired the terminal at nearly 40 percent conclusion, in spite of its commissioning under his predecessor.
The paper likewise discovered that the state continued to designate cash to the center after its inauguration.
The most recent choice to consist of the terminal in the list of tasks set up for commissioning by Mr Tinubu raises even more concerns about the degree of work finished after its preliminary inauguration and the extra public funds devoted to it.
Airport centers, other jobs
Other jobs set up for inauguration at the Victor Attah International Airport consist of the International Airport Hospital and Ibom Aviation Village.
The health center job is recorded in the state budget plans as the renovation and upgrade of the Victor Attah International Airport Clinic, consisting of the building and construction of call spaces.
The federal government designated N2 billion for the renovation and upgrade in 2025, along with N700 million for the purchase of devices.
The Ibom Aviation Village, caught in the spending plan as the Aviation Housing Estate, got N6.62 billion in 2025 and N5.98 billion in 2026.
The state likewise made arrangements for the Command and Control Centre, consisting of N500 million for gearing up and providing the center in 2025 and another N1 billion in 2026.
PREMIUM TIMES might not recognize particular financial allotments for the AKWA-GIS Office Complex in the spending plans evaluated under the Eno administration.
For these jobs, the federal government has yet to make openly available information revealing their initial agreement amounts, subsequent variations, specialists and procurement procedures.
Procurement law concerns
The lack of openly offered agreement details is notable due to the fact that the Akwa Ibom State Public Procurement Law offers openness in the award and execution of public agreements.
Area 61( 5) of the law mandates the general public Procurement Regulatory Agency and other acquiring entities to without delay and consistently release procurement details on the state’s electronic website.
The arrangement is planned to guarantee that members of the general public can access info about federal government procurement and analyze how public resources are dedicated.
Searches by PREMIUM TIMES on the state’s procurement website did not expose the agreement information of the jobs set up for inauguration.
The paper likewise discovered no openly offered proof developing that the agreements underwent open competitive bidding, as attended to under the state’s procurement structure, or that any appropriate exceptions were appropriately conjured up.
Without the disclosure of agreement amounts, bidding records and award information, it is challenging for the general public to by themselves figure out whether the tasks were granted in accordance with the law, whether the expenses reveal worth for cash and just how much the federal government has really invested in them.
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The issues come versus the background of previous PREMIUM TIMES examinations into procurement openness and financial responsibility under Mr Eno.
4 days earlier, the paper reported that the state federal government had actually gotten a minimum of N3.218 trillion in public earnings within 41 months of the guv’s administration however had actually stopped releasing comprehensive capital investment records, making it tough to track costs on significant tasks.
Other reports by the paper have actually recorded the federal government’s failure to divulge procurement information for significant public financial investments, including its N42 billion compressed gas bus job and the N15.47 billion rehab of the State House of Assembly complicated
Federal government keeps mum
PREMIUM TIMES sent out a media query to the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, looking for information on the tasks and the lack of their procurement records.
The paper asked the federal government to offer the overall expense of each job, consisting of the initial agreement amounts and any subsequent variations or modified expenses.
It likewise asked for information of the procurement techniques utilized in granting the agreements and whether the procedures adhered to the treatments and approvals recommended by the state’s public procurement law.
In addition, the paper asked why the agreement awards, amounts, specialists and other pertinent procurement records had actually not been released on the state’s procurement website, as needed by law.
Calls to Mr Umanah did not link. He likewise did not react to text, WhatsApp messages or a message sent out through Facebook Messenger.
The commissioner had actually not reacted to the queries since the time of this report.
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