Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has expressed strong reservations over the slow pace of construction at the University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering (UAAE) located in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area. The governor inspected ongoing state infrastructure, including the UAAE, and noted that despite starting around the same time as the ICT University in Oferekpe Agbaja, the UAAE contractors have fallen behind expectations.
Governor Nwifuru led a high-powered delegation on an extensive inspection tour of key state projects, including the UAAE site, where he openly voiced his disappointment with the contractors. He pointed out that the aerospace institution was initiated concurrently with the ICT University, yet progress at the UAAE site has lagged significantly behind schedule.
The governor acknowledged that the site’s waterlogged soil presented initial engineering hurdles, but emphasised that the project has already spanned two dry seasons without completion. He directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Professor Amari Omaka, to closely supervise the contractors, tighten oversight, and accelerate workflow to ensure timely delivery.
The inspection tour covered several other landmark projects across the state, including the Reward Estate, the Flyover Tunnel, and the new Ebonyi Hotel, a historic project originally initiated as the World Trade Centre by the state’s first executive governor, Dr Sam Egwu. The governor’s tradition of utilising the anniversary of Nigeria’s independence to assess public infrastructure.
Governor Nwifuru’s visit to the UAAE site was part of his tradition of assessing public infrastructure on the anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, which also coincides with the creation of Ebonyi State. The entourage included founding fathers, traditional elders, women leaders, youth representatives, and top government officials.
To salvage the timeline, the governor directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Professor Amari Omaka, to take direct charge of supervisory oversight. He instructed the commissioner to enforce stricter contractual conditions and ramp up pressure on the contractors to accelerate execution and deliver the project promptly.
The governor’s concern over the slow pace of construction at the UAAE has sparked reactions from various stakeholders, who are eagerly awaiting the completion of the project. The university is expected to provide opportunities for students to study aeronautics and aerospace engineering, boosting the state’s educational infrastructure.
Key points
- Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has expressed disappointment over the slow construction progress of the University of Aeronautics and Aerospace Engineering.
- The governor has directed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education to closely supervise the contractors and accelerate workflow to ensure timely delivery.
- The project has already spanned two dry seasons without completion, despite initial engineering hurdles due to the site’s waterlogged soil.
