After a showy commissioning and multi-billion investments five months ago, the Akwa Ibom State e-library, a proposed full e-learning facility flaunted as West Africa’s first, has yet to commence operations.

Instead, equipment shortages that have remained unresolved at the facility months on, are giving vent to earlier concerns that authorities in Akwa Ibom rushed out an unfinished project for immediate political gains.

A spokesperson for the state acknowledged parts of the project have yet to be finalised, and that managerial issues are still pending.

“It takes a process to put all the public elements in place,” Anietie Umanah, the state commissioner for information said on Sunday.

The inertia at the library has raised fears about its completion, refreshing concerns about state governments’ penchant for delivering half-made projects, often, for lavish presidential unveiling, gaining public approvals, after which the projects are abandoned.

President Goodluck Jonathan opened the sprawling unit in Uyo, the state capital, late June, in a brassy ceremony that exhibited the details and prospects of the new project, and drew plaudits for the government.

The credits soon turned to criticisms after a PREMIUM TIMES’ report revealed that the library had no functional website, a basic requirement for such facility.

The publication spurred the state government to hurriedly switch on three unfinished websites.

Read more: http://premiumtimesng.com/news/108789-much-hyped-akwa-ibom-e-library-still-under-lock-five-months-after-presidential-commissioning.html