By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Gov. Alex Otti of Abia on Friday flagged off the rehabilitation of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road with a pledge to deliver it on time.
Speaking while flagging off the 25-kilometer project in Umuahia, Otti thanked President Bola Tinubu for granting approval for Abia Government to take over and rehabilitate abandoned sections of the road.
The governor said that the failed sections of the road had caused commuters and transporters “daily horror” over the years.
He also acknowledged the support of the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, for facilitating the technical processes required for the project.
Otti said:”The general objective is to accelerate the actualisation of our broad development agenda.
“I would like to specially appreciate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for graciously giving us the go-ahead to initiate the reconstruction of the abandoned sections of this federal highway.
“We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Honorable Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, for his firm support and guidance as we work the technical documents for the takeover of these projects.
“We are greatly impressed with the favorable disposition of the federal government to the holistic infrastructural development of our state.
“We have said it in the past, and it is repeating today, that differences in political affiliations need not stand in the path of the responsibilities of governors and other critical development imperatives.”
Otti stressed that in spite of the road being federally owned, the state government remained committed to the maintenance and development of all roads within Abia, whether federal, state, or local, to support socioeconomic development.
He revealed that some unpatriotic political actors had attempted to frustrate the initiative for personal and political gains, but praised the Federal Government for refusing to be swayed by such attempts.
He also said that the federal government had awarded the contract to reconstruct the road about 10 years ago, but the work stalled and the road’s condition worsened.
According to him, the road reconstruction will improve commuting, stimulate local economic growth, empower households, and enhance security.
Otti said that this project served as part of the broader strategy of the state government to accelerate development across communities.
He announced that the project was scheduled to be delivered within 18 months and expressed hope that it could be completed even sooner.
In his remark, the lawmaker representing Abia Central Senatorial Zone, Sen. Austin Akobundu, said that he was delighted to witness the reconstruction of the road.
Akobundu commended the governor for setting aside bottlenecks to get the road fixed, and urged all politicians to set aside political differences and rally round the governor to get the road done.
He also thanked the federal government for giving the state government the approval to fix the road.
“We thank the government for giving approval which shows that FG is more interested in delivering democracy dividends to citizens irrespective of political affiliation,” Akobundu said.
The Deputy Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly,Mr Austin Meregini, commended Otti for taking the initiative to rehabilitate a federal road in the state.
Meregini said the move demonstrated the governor’s proactive leadership and commitment to improving infrastructure across the state.
“We thank the governor for taking this initiative,” he said.
In his address, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Otumchere Oti, said that the construction of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road represented the breaking of a jinx of over 40 years.
Oti, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Izuchukwu Onwughara, said that the road began at Umudike Junction in Umuahia Capital, traverses through Umuahia North and Ikwuano communities, and terminates at the boundary with Akwa Ibom.
He said that the project covered all road sections not previously rehabilitated, ensuring uniform quality and durability.
Oti said that the carriageway would be 7.3 metres wide with 2 metre-wide shoulders on both sides for safety.
He said that the pavement structure includes a 200mm lateralised softbase, 200mm crushed rock base, 60mm asphaltic binder course, and 40mm asphaltic wearing course.
Oti said that the project also provided culverts, drains, catch pits, road signs, markings, kilometre posts, access slabs, and solar-powered street lights.
In his remark, the Managing Director of GELD Construction Company Limited, Mr Nabeel Esawi, assured the governor that his company would deliver the project on schedule and to the highest technical standards.
Esawi expressed gratitude to the state government for its leadership and support and reaffirmed GELD’s commitment to quality, durability, and professional integrity throughout the project.
He also appreciated the Commissioner for Works, ministry engineers, and the host community for their cooperation, urging continued collaboration to ensure timely completion.
Earlier, the President General of Ndume Otuka Development Union, Mr John Onyiro, thanked the state government for its decision to fix the road to alleviate the suffering of the people in the area.
Onyiro said :”We will work together to give adequate support to the construction company to ensure that this road project is successfully achieved.”
The governor also flagged off the 13.1-kilometre Ariam-Usaka Ring Road project in Ikwuano Local Government Area.
