A person who oversees federal projects that are under-executed in the Akwa Ibom StateSouth-south Nigeria, has threatened to kill a PREMIUM TIMES journalist for reporting on the project.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how a market stall was rehabilitated – 30 people – in Abiakpo community in Obot Akara Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, became dilapidated eight months after because of substandard materials used.
Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West District, Christopher Ekpenyongwhich is from the community and located a few meters from the cafe, facilitated the project.
Some stalls have cracks in the walls and holes in the roof. The cement floor was damaged in some places.
On the roof most of the stalls shook with the light wind and looked as if they could easily be thrown away.
The concrete pillars of most of the stalls seem inadequate. In addition, the use of Bamboo sticks as improvised pillars in some stalls has raised security concerns among residents.
Rehabilitation, awarded by Nigerian Building and Roads Research Institute (NBRRI) for Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limited, has pitched some residents in the community to Senator Ekpenyong who said the community must ensure that they achieve the best quality.
Tymme Energy Integrated Resources Limitedaccording to data obtained online, was incorporated on February 16, 2016 with 18, Aiyewa Street, Kabba, Kogi State, north-central Nigeria, as the registered address.
Some traders and community members who spoke to this newspaper urged the NBRRI to ask the contractor to revive the project.
When PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Imukudo Savior, contacted Andrew Okure, the man overseeing the rehabilitation of the stall, before the paper covered the project, he refused to comment.
Mr. Okure then called the reporter, Mr. Imukudo, on Wednesday apparently after reading the published story.
He (Okure) said that the community members who commented on the project were “opposition party members”.
When Mr. Imukudo asked him on Thursday at around 10:57 for an official comment on the poor project, Mr. Okure told reporters: “I will follow you. Be careful, be careful.”
While Mr. Okure was dishing out threats, a male voice in the background could also be heard issuing additional threats to the reporter.
“Look at you, look at six feet. Don’t worry. Alhamdulillah, now I know your name. Someone told you to go and die and you followed them,” a voice in the background.
There are two water holes at a distance of about 50 meters in the market – one is solar powered and functional, while the other, a sanitary facility, is awarded by Federal Department of Water Resources done without water tank and standing. Sanitation facilities must have water tanks, according to the project description.
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The water project is also poorly executed.
“We will not meet the threat and will ensure that an official report is made to the police,” said Cletus Ukpong, PREMIUM TIMES bureau chief for the south-south and south-east regions.
Mr Ukpong said the newspaper would not be intimidated by the threat and would continue to hold power accountable using professional journalistic tools.
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