Contractors handling the construction of Ibom 20th Anniversary Specialist Hospital, Uyo, have been given March 2014 deadline to complete and hand over the project to the Akwa Ibom Government.

Governor Godswill Akpabio gave Messrs Ghito and NAIRDA the deadline while on inspection visit to the site on Saturday. His words: “This project must be completed and we must have a timeline. The March 2014 timeline should be sacrosanct.”

Akpabio noted that the hospital which is at about 70 per cent completion had suffered setbacks and delays, thus becoming a major concern to the state government.

“I am very interested in this project and whatever we need to do even if it involves working day and night, we must do it to ensure this becomes a reality. We must complete this hospital within my tenure for the people to use,” the governor said.

“With the level of development we are bringing to Akwa Ibom State, we cannot have anything less than what you are seeing. What we want is a first-class international hospital so that our people can stop spending money abroad for medical care,” he added.

Chief Akpabio described the hospital as a massive project that would serve as a reference point to the achievements and capabilities of the contractors when completed, and directed the consultant to commence construction of the road leading to the hospital during the next dry season.

Responding, the Director-General of Ghito Construction Generale, Mr. Johny Matahni, assured Governor Akpabio that the hospital would be completed and delivered within the stipulated time. “I can assure you on behalf of the company that we are taking very seriously the deadline you have given us and we are going to put an aggressive action plan in place to meet the March 2014 deadline,” Matahni said.

•Photo shows Governor Akpabio.