Multi-Billion A’Ibom Pipe Jacket drainage project suffer Neglect

Multi billion naira pipe jacking drainage project in Akwa Ibom has come under threat due to the inability of the state government to conduct periodic maintenance on the facility.

The N13.6 billion undergeound drainage system in Uyo was built by the immediate past administration of Godswill Akpabio and commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 to distill flood waters threatening lives, properties and markets at the Itam axis of the state capital.

But the project described as the first of it’s kind in Africa was facing neglect as the channels to the 40metres underground pipes conveying flood waters are being blocked with debris with no noticable government effort to clear them.

Besides, the outflow was gradually being overgrown with weeds, sand blocking the holes while erosion encroached deep into the only service and access road to the outfall even as the speed of water into the outfall reduced due to increasing blockage of the smaller water carrying pipes.

The pipe jacking method according to Julius Berger, had water drainage capacity of about 29m3/s with DN2000 and has improved self-cleansing capability of the pipes but in open drains, however additional manpower was not engaged after the construction to clean them periodically.

Journalists who visited Ikot Ekan, the host community of the underground drainage system yesterday, were surprised by the reactions from the locals.

While they still expressed joy and kudos to the state government for the facility which has helped to turn the hitherto water locked area to dry land, they as well raised concerns that the drainage system is being threatened and if urgent steps are not taken, could impede the smooth functioning of the facility.

“Sometimes, this is why people criticise successive administrations because of lack of maintenance culture, this project has helped us out of erosion and flooding, but with the current situation, if care is not taken, this huge investment maybe the worst for it”.

The challenges include poor environmental habit by some of the residents, pedestrians and even motorists who dump empty cans, used sachets and plastic bottles of table water aside other refuse into the gutter.

They however maintained that if the facility must continue to function optimally the state government should take steps to evacuate sand and other refuse from the gutters before it is rendered useless.

In the meantime, the state government has said that emphasis would be on the timely completion of the N14B IBB Avenue drainage project and the distillation of major open drains that has hampered water flow and constituted a risk to lives of residents within Uyo metropolis.