By Ekemini SIMON
DESPITE billions of naira spent on the reconstruction of federal highways across the country, many of the projects have either been stalled or abandoned. Ironically, authorities have failed to hold to account contractors or the supervising ministries. Investigation reveals that one of such projects, the Nung Udoe-Etinan-Ekom Iman Federal Highway in Akwa Ibom State, has remained a pipe dream for over a decade, even though the Federal Government claims it has been 100 per cent completed.
In the morning of April 13, 2022, a 33-year-old sculptor and designer from Mbak Ekpe in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Akaninyene Eyo, woke up like every other day with high hopes. He prepared to go out in search of his daily bread without the faintest inkling of what lay ahead. As he rode on his motorcycle to work, tragedy struck along the Nung Udoe-Etinan-Ekom Iman Federal Highway.
An approaching vehicle, attempting to dodge potholes on the road swerved out of its lane and knocked down Eyo. His motorcycle was badly crushed. But that was the least of the damage from the accident. Eyo was left soaked in a pool of blood and gasping for breath. Although the car which hit him drove off immediately, he was rushed by good Samaritans to the Federal Teaching Hospital in the state capital, Uyo.
After he was stabilised and his wounds attended to, Eyo woke up to confront other serious injuries that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life. The accident had left him with a broken his arm and leg. He was informed that the nerves on this part of the body had been seriously damaged and would take time to heal.
Since then, Eyo had been bedridden, unable to walk or use his right arm despite treatment at a government owned hospital, including other private hospitals.
His brother, Innocent Eyo, recalls that his treatment had gulped up to N3.9 million as the family was forced to sell off their piggery, and plots of lands to save him.
“I even had to withdraw my four children from a private school to public school just to have money to take care of him. He is my only sibling,” he said.
Eyo only returned home in September 2024 after spending 30 months receiving treatment even though one of his legs remained swollen and twisted, depriving him of standing on his feets beyond a few minutes.
“I cannot work because of my condition. I am now a burden to others, and my life ambitions are all buried. But I still thank God for my life because I am aware of at least five people who died instantly due to similar accidents on the Nung Udoe-Etinan Road,” he said with tears dripping down his cheeks.
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During a visit to a private orthopedic hospital, called Efi-Ekpaha Bone Specialist Hospital, along the highway, there were several survivors of accidents. Six victims who were receiving treatment either due to fractured legs or arms were sighted among them. Some blamed their accidents on the Nung Udoe -Etinan- Ekom Iman Highway.
The head of the hospital, Aniefiok Ekpaha, said in 2024 alone, he treated 16 accident victims from the highway. He noted that there was consistent inflow of victims during the rainy season when the ditches and potholes became multiplied.
A death trap
Eyo and others who recounted their close encounters with death on the Nung Udoe -Etinan Highway were among the lucky ones who survived. Several others were not so fortunate.
On the evening of October 2, 2024, a 45-year-old man from Mbak Ekpe, Aniedi Udonnwa, while taking a walk along the road to a meeting, was hit by a speeding vehicle. The accident occurred as the vehicle attempted to dodge a pothole and lost control, hitting Udonnwa. He died, leaving behind two teenage daughters that have become orphans as they lost their mother eight years earlier.
Also, Mary Udoh, a pregnant woman from Afaha Offiong, which is along the Nung Udoe-Etinan highway, did not survive to tell her story. In June 2023, on her way from the farm directly at the market where she went to sell produce to take care of her family, a vehicle knocked her down from behind. It was trying to avoid a ditch around Afaha Offiong roundabout along the highway.
Insight into FG reconstruction contract award
In December 2013, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Nung Udoe-Etinan-Ekom Iman Federal Highway in Akwa Ibom State to Mothercat Limited. According to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request response by the Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office, the commencement date of the project was January 30, 2014.
The project, which cuts across three local government areas, namely Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Ibom and Etinan, is 33.5km long, and 7.3m wide.
According to the information on the job, as contained in the contract document, the contract was awarded at N2.38 billion and the contractor was expected to clear the existing road, carry out earthworks, improve pavement, provide 200mm lateritic sub-base on the carriageway and shoulders, provide 200mm crushed rock base, provide prime coat on carriageway and shoulders and provide surface dressing on shoulders (2.75m on each side).
Others include provision of 60mm asphaltic concrete binder course and tack coat, provision of 40mm asphaltic concrete wearing course, provision of culverts and concrete lined drains, provision of kerbs along high embankments as directed, and construction of 1 No.30m (2X15m span) bridge.
Project abandoned five years after contract award
The FOI response by the Principal Civil Engineer, Madaki Illyasu, on behalf of the Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office shows that the project was to commence on January 30, 2014 with a 14-month duration to be completed on April 29, 2015.
The FOI response revealed that the contract was further extended for 38 months with a completion date of June 30, 2018. Again, the project was not not executed. According to the Federal Ministry of Works, the contract deadline was extended by the ministry for Mothercat for another 18 months with a completion date slated for December 30, 2020.
It was only in 2019 that the contractor mobilised to site for the construction of a bridge as part of the project, it was gathered.
Billions spent on project
In response to a FOIA request to the Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office in March 2024 seeking information on payments made to Mothercat Limited on the project, it said its office in Abuja was in possession of the information.
A request made to the works and housing, minister, David Umahi, in March 2024 on the payment was not responded to.
This left this medium with no option than rely on payments published on the Federal Government’s Open Treasury Portal which provide public access to collated data on government spending at the federal level for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The portal launched on December 9, 2019 does not have information on payments made before 2018.
Analysis of the day to day payments on the portal shows that between 2020 through 2023, Mothercat Limited received N1.096 billion for the reconstruction project. The payments breakdown is:
- April 20 2020: N174.19m
- May 31, 2021: N89.29m
- July 24, 2021: N218.17m
- Dec 2, 2021: N125.67m
- Feb 4, 2022: N219.93m
- June 2, 2022: N179.5m
- June 15, 2023: N89.77m
Data on the portal also shows that the company received additional payment of N376.97m on March 18, 2020 and N172.4m on June 24, 2022 although it is not indicated for which project it received the payments.
However, information on what the company had been paid between 2014 when they were expected to commence work and 2017 could not be accessed. A request for information to the company seeking clarification on the total amount they have so far received was not honoured.
The Federal Government has also spent millions of naira on the supervision of the project.
Checks on the Open Treasury Portal show that on June 15, 2022 and November 3, 2022 the sums of N8.65m and N10.7m respectively, were paid Amana Consortium Limited as part payment for the consultancy services supervision for the reconstruction of the road project.
Project Status Report
The Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office in its FOI request response noted that the reconstruction project was 100 per cent executed.
The ministry noted that the following had been done; earthworks for pavement improvement, 200mm thick lateritic sub-base on carriageway and shoulders – executed to 1.943Km, 200mm thick crushed rock base course executed to 2.328km, priming of carriageway and shoulders with bitumen emulsion, 60 mm thick asphaltic concrete binder course executed to 1.220km.
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Others are, bituminous tack coat on carriageway executed to 1.220Km, 40mm thick asphaltic concrete wearing course executed to 1.695km, surface dressing of shoulders 12.2km (on both sides of the road), concrete lined drains 11.5km, 1 No. 30m (2x15m span) bridge, road marking executed to 2.1Km, and signages 16Nos installed.
Status Report exposes 100 per cent completion as misleading
An analysis of what the government said has been done with the scope of the work raises questions on its 100 per cent completion claims. For instance, according to the scope of the work, the road must be cleared and earth work must be carried out. Yet, in the status report, the government said earthworks were only done for pavement improvement.
Although the scope of the work states that there will be provision of 200mm lateritic sub-base on the carriageway and shoulders on the 33.5km long and 7.3m wide road, the status report said this was executed to 1.943km.
While the scope of work provides that there will be provision of 200mm crush rock base on the stretch of the road, the status report said this was executed to 2.328km.
While the scope of the work noted that there will be provision of surface dressing on shoulders (2.75m on each side), the status report said this was executed up to 12.2km on both sides of the road.
The scope of the work provided for a 40mm asphaltic concrete wearing course. Yet, the status report said this was executed to 1.695km.
While the scope of the work provided for culverts and concrete lined drains, the status report claimed this was executed to 11.5km.
The scope includes provision of kerbs along high embankments as directed. This was not included as executed in the status report.
Government claims versus what is on ground
When our reporter visited the entire stretch of the road, it was observed that a few sections were stable but, in most parts, it was characterised by alligator cracks, portholes, eroded shoulders and pavement failures.
The portion of the road from Nung Udoe to Afaha Offiong roundabout is riddled by potholes and ditches.
It was observed that a bridge has been constructed by Mothercat at the river that separates Ikot Obio Etan and Ikot Iwud in Nsit Ibom local government area.
The road was only well constructed around the bridge. Google Map, an Open-Source App, was used to measure the kilometers of work implemented.
From the bridge facing Etina, the road was asphalted to the drains at 500 metres while the asphalted portion which the width does not reach the drains was 300 meters.
There was surface dressing on the shoulders with crushed rocks on this portion.
Down the bridge facing Nung Udoe road, the asphalted portion with width to the drains was measured 600 metres while the asphalted portion without width to the drain was measured at 200.6 meters. The total kilometers of work executed aligns with the status report by the ministry but with discrepancies on the width not covering up to the length.
The crown Prince of Ikot Iwud, Akpaobot Isong, who hails from one of the villages where the width of the asphalted road is not executed to the drains said when they noticed the standard was dropped and the road was becoming thin in width, they approached Mothercat over it but nothing was done.
Also, while the government claimed that the drains have been provided up to 11.5km which would have been 34.3 percent of the stretch of the road, what was actually measured through the use of the Google map app was 6.5 kilometers. The drain covers intermittent stretches from Afaha Offiong down to the bridge and from Afaha Offiong roundabout to the road leading to the council secretariat still at Afaha Offiong.
There were a few remnants of some crushed rocks poured by the shoulders of the road around Ikot Annung and Ikot Ediom villages along the highway. However significant portions of the rocks have been washed away suggesting shabby execution.
Residents of these areas said that the construction of the bridge by Mothercat commenced in 2019 while they carried out other works in 2021.
State government intervenes
Due to the poor state of the road, the government of Akwa Ibom State under the Udom Emmanuel administration had to intervene on the Etinan-Ekom Iman section of the road project. The road project completed by the state in 2023 has being dualised. This leaves the Nung Udoe -Etinan section still characterised by alligator cracks, several portholes, eroded shoulders and pavement failures leading to accidents that claimed many deaths.
Due to the significance of the road in connecting other parts of the state including Governor Umo Eno’s hometown; Nsit Ubuim, the state government in November 2024 intervened on the road by filling the potholes that riddled the road in preparation of the burial of the late Governor’s wife, Patience Umo Eno.
The state government has announced plans to dualise the Nung Udoe -Afaha Offiong section of the road to link with Eket -Etinan-Ekom Iman highway which has already been dualised. This project, as captured in the 2024 approved state budget, cost N1.5bn.
Government claims contract review affected project completion
When the findings of this investigation were shared with the Principal Civil Engineer of the Federal Ministry of Works, Akwa Ibom State office, Madaki Illyasu, an engineer, that the stretch of the road has not been completed against government’s status report of the project which claimed 100 per cent completion, he admitted that only about 15 kilometres (km) out of 33.5km stretch has experienced various forms of intervention by Mothercat.
Going by the about 15km intervention admittance, it implies that only 44.7 percent of the entire stretch received attention from government.
While noting that Mothercat had initially surveyed the entire 33.5km stretch, did bush clearing for shoulder improvement on the road, the Principal Civil Engineer said that the failure to complete the reconstruction of the stretch of the road stemmed from the ministry’s decision in Abuja to review the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME) thrice. BEME is a list of work items, their quantities, and their estimated costs. He said the review was caused by the variation of prices and inflation.
Illyasu, whom investigations reveal had worked as a staff of the contractor, Mothercat Limited between April 2009 to January 2013 before his work with the Federal Ministry of Works, said the main target of the project was the provision of the bridge as the project was facilitated by Senator Ita Enang. He added “The level of work executed on the road is based on the quantity of items provided on the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation. We have reviewed that BEME up to three times. The contractor worked based on the last review. Our directors from Abuja came and confirmed that those items as provided for in the last reviewed BEME are there. They had a one-year maintenance period and they used it to maintain the road. After one-year maintenance period, the contractor is not liable again.”
The claim by the government is questionable. In March 2024 this medium had requested for all the contract documents and information associated with the project. The documents on the BEME reviewed thrice were not shared. It only came into the picture when the newspaper queried how the ministry said the work was100 percent completed as against the provisions in the scope of the work provided by the ministry.
Also, the ministry’s claim of 100 percent completion of the “Reconstruction of the Nung Udoe Etinan-Ekom Iman Road in Akwa Ibom State” is misleading as less than a half of the stretch is worked upon and consequently diverted federal government attention on the need to complete the project.
When contacted, Senator Ita Enang who facilitated the project said it was not correct that the main purpose of the reconstruction was the bridge as claimed by the ministry. He said the reconstruction was to cover the entire 33.5km stretch.
Enang said he has observed that the project is not yet completed hence he plans to meet the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over the abandoned part and assured that even though the project is not captured in the 2025 budget of the federation, he hopes to explore other sources of funding to ensure the road is revisited and completed.
Mothercat silent over discoveries
Findings show that this is not the first time Mothercat Limited has failed to follow its scope of work in project execution. For instance, the contract for the dualisation of the Obajana-Benin Road awarded to Mothercat and two other companies in 2012 was recently terminated for non-performance.
A release signed by the the Minister for Works, David Umahi, said Mothercat and other contractors abandoned the project, showing no genuine commitment or good faith towards executing the projects.
Checks into the Open Treasury Portal show that between October 2018 and February 2022, Mothercat Limited alone had received N1.28bn for the road project yet showed no commitment in implementation as reported by the works minister.
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In mid, late December 2024 and January this year several attempts were made to reach Mothercat Limited for response to the findings in this investigation. Mothercat currently does not have an office in Akwa Ibom State. The two phone lines provided on its website were not reachable. A mail sent to the Managing Director of the company through its official mail address on December 27, 2024 sought the company’s response on the findings.
The request specifically sought to know when the company plans to complete the project as captured in their scope of work, how much the company has so far been paid for the project and what is limiting the completion of the project and any other remarks from the company. This was not responded to before press time despite a reminder on January 13, 2025.
As stated earlier the Federal Government had also spent N19.35 million to Amana Consortium Limited to supervise the work which is expected to give a report about the state of the project.
When the company was reached through the phone lines provided on its website in mid and late December for information on their report about the status of the road, the phones rang unanswered. Text, WhatsApp messages, and mail sent to the company on December 27, 2024 were not responded to. This newspaper visited their Ewet Housing Estate office in Uyo on January 13, 2025. Throughout the two hours of waiting at the security post of the company, no one attended to the reporter after filling the visitor’s note.
Despite its deplorable state coupled with the 100 per cent completion report, checks into the 2024 Appropriation Act and 2025 proposed bill of the Federal Government, the Reconstruction of Nung Udoe -Etinan- Ekom Iman Federal Highway is no longer captured, implying that attention is no longer on the road having been adjudged as completed in the books.
National Assembly to investigate project
The National Assembly has assured that the controversies in the contract execution of the project by Mothercat Limited will be investigated.
The Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East, Aniekan Bassey, assured that he will undertake findings and ensure the Senate investigates it.
Also, the member representing Uyo/Ibesikpo Asutan/Uruan, Nsit Atai Federal Constituency, Mark Esset, expressed shock over the fact that the reconstruction of the road was awarded and money paid without impact.
He assured that he will personally undertake on-the-spot assessment and cause the project to be investigated by the House of Representative if he discovers issues of concern.
* This fact-check was republished from The ICIR website. You can read the original article here.
