… as construction giant responds to Mail Newspaper publication

describes story as misleading

*says drainages blocked by residents led to collapse of affected spot

Against a report by The Mail newspaper (Tuesday November 19, 2024 edition), claiming a collapse of a road project by Akwa Ibom state government done through Hensek Integrated Services, the management of the company has refuted the story, describing the publication as inaccurate and misleading.

A statement by the Company through its Consultant on Communications and brand strategy, Ubong Sampson and made available to our news desk, insists that the reporter of the story wrote from a position of absolute ignorance.

The statement further faulted the story and the intentions of the writer from the angle that no attempt was made by the Reporter to contact the Hensek management or spokesperson to seek clarity, so as to be properly guided.

While admitting that the Hensek company had a job concerning Ring Road 2, the statement stressed that the affected part of Abak road as reported in the news was neither constructed nor amended by Hensek.

“It was during the reign of Ex-Governor Udom Emmanuel that Hensek Integrated Services was contracted by Akwa Ibom state government to take over a revoked contract of Ring Road 2 starting from Aka Road junction to Abak Road shortly after mechanic village. The contract terms also included the construction of a roundabout at the Abak Road end of the project.

“The said project was done and delivered timely for commissioning, which the former governor commissioned shortly before the expiration of his tenure.

“However, the affected part of Abak road is the part that continues the road immediately after the roundabout constructed by Hensek at the end of the Ring Road project. And it is worthy of note that the collapsed asphalt was not laid by Hensek, but another construction firm and was done many years back”, the statement reads in part.

The statement further noted that residents of the area had first raised the alarm when rain water started settling at that spot, following the sloppy nature of the roundabout which according to the statement, the idea was to slope water into both sides of the Abak road drains, adding that when the company sent its team to inspect the situation, it was reported that the settled water was consequent upon blockages in the drainages that were supposed to take the water.

“The company had done well to feedback the residents by advising them to either draw the attention of the state Ministry of Environment or other relevant agencies of government, or take advantage of the next sanitation exercise to desilt the drains to enable free flow of rain water– the advice, the residents apparently did not take seriously, hence, the eventual collapse of the spot.

“It is therefore misleading for the reporter to attribute the fault of the spot to Hensek Integrated Services, when the company had no business with the said spot, and it is bad when the reporter failed to contact us to seek clarity and be properly guided before going to press”, the statement further read.

The statement also advised the reporter to rather use the influence of their pen to enlighten residents on the need for proper waste disposal/management, so as to help sustain efforts on the part of government to provide motorable access roads for the citizenry, rather then use same to mislead the public.

It further stressed that Hensek Integrated Services will always remain committed to excellent job deliveries, both to private and public clients, adding that the company could only have earned the recognition it currently enjoys from several social and rights groups as the best indigenous construction firm through excellence.