Akwa Ibom State Executive Council has approved the dualisation of Eket-Ibeno Road at a contract sum of N24.9b.

Briefing newsmen in Uyo, the state capital, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, said this was part of the decisions taken at the weekly meetings of the State Executive Council held last Thursday.

According to him, on completion, the road, on which work is to commence immediately over a period of 18 months, will have four bridges, and is awarded to CCECC, a reputable Chinese firm.

Presided over by the Governor-in-Council, Chief Godswill Akpabio, the State Executive Council also approved the payment of compensation to owners of land earmarked for the construction of Security Village in Eket.

The State Executive Council, according to Mr. Umanah, took the decision to finally put an end to the issue of compensation, which has delayed the construction of the Security Village in Eket, as has been done in other local government areas of the State.

Also, having completed construction of two brand new hospitals in Eastern Obolo and Ika local government areas, the commissioner said the state government intends to put the hospitals to use immediately.

To this end, he said Council has directed the immediate release of over N900 million for the purchase of medical and diagnostic equipment for installation and use in the hospitals.

The commissioner mentioned that in order to facilitate good access roads to the hospital in Eastern Obolo, Council also directed the Ministry of Works to intervene on the Okorete-Amakada road.

Even as the state government is currently commissioning 448 inter-ministerial direct labour projects within the last one year, Mr. Umanah said the Governor-in-Council expressed the hope that turn-key projects embarked upon by his administration would be completed within stipulated time

Meanwhile, Governor Akpabio has charged Nigerian surgeons to focus more on research and training to bring about lasting solution to the compounding medical problems in the country.

He gave the advice when the President of Association of Surgeons of Nigeria, Professor Okon O. Bassey and President of Nigerian Surgical Research Society, Prof. Elugwaraonu A. Agbakwuru, paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office Uyo. “Without research, we won’t have solution to some of the medical problems we are now facing as a people including the HIV/AIDS,” the governor said.

Akpabio harped on the need for members of the associations to embark on regular training and refresher courses to be up to date with trends in the medical practice.

“There must always be continuous refresher course for your members that are involved in day-to-day surgical operations because things are changing, old methods are giving way to new ones. You must send your people for training on robotics and laparoscopic surgery.

“As associations, I want you to cry out for facilities that we as government must put in place for you. We need to put the facilities in place because you need the facilities to carryout successful surgical operation,” he said.

Earlier, the President of the Association of Surgeons of Nigeria, Prof. Bassey, who had informed Governor Akpabio that the association comprising surgical experts, members of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and surgical researchers was in the state for its Ninth Annual Congress which began on Wednesday, this week, lauded the governor for the transformation of the State particularly the health sector.

Also speaking, the President of Nigerian Surgical Research Society, Prof. Agbakwuru, said they move from universities to other institutions in the country training young people on surgical operations, and appreciated the Governor for his development strides in the state.

•Photo shows Governor Akpabio.