Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, on Friday, flagged off the rehabilitation of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road, with a pledge to deliver the project on time.
Speaking while flagging off the 25-kilometre project in Umuahia, Mr Otti thanked President Bola Tinubu for granting approval for the Abia State Government to take over and rehabilitate the abandoned sections of the road.
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The governor said that the failed sections of the road had caused commuters and transporters “daily horror” over the years.
He acknowledged the support of the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for facilitating the technical processes required for the project.
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Mr Otti said: “The general objective is to accelerate the actualisation of our broad development agenda.
“I would like to specially appreciate President Bola Tinubu 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 Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for his firm support and guidance as we work on the technical documents for the takeover of these projects.
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“We are greatly impressed with the favourable 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.”
Mr Otti stressed that 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 said “some unpatriotic political actors” had attempted to frustrate the initiative for personal and political gain, and 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 that the work stalled and the road’s condition worsened.
Mr Otti said that the project served as part of the broader strategy of the Abia State Government to accelerate development across communities.
He announced that the project would be delivered within 18 months and hoped it could be completed even sooner.
A senator’s advice to politicians
In his remarks, the senator representing Abia Central District, Austin Akobundu, said that he was delighted to witness the reconstruction of the road.
Mr Akobundu commended the governor for putting aside bottlenecks to fix the road and urged all politicians to put aside political differences and rally around the governor to get the road done.
He also thanked the federal government for giving the state government the approval to fix the road. He said it “shows that the federal government is more interested in delivering democracy dividends to citizens irrespective of political affiliation.”
The Deputy Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Austin Meregini, commended Mr Otti for taking the initiative to rehabilitate a federal road in the state.
Mr Meregini said the move demonstrated the governor’s proactive leadership and commitment to improving infrastructure across the state.
In his address, the Commissioner for Works, Otumchere Oti, said that the construction of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road represented the breaking of a jinx of over 40 years.
Mr Oti, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, 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 State.
He said the project covered all road sections not previously rehabilitated, ensuring uniform quality and durability.
Mr 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 soft-base, 200mm crushed rock base, 60mm asphaltic binder course, and 40mm asphaltic wearing course.
Mr Oti said the project also provided culverts, drains, catch pits, road signs, markings, kilometre posts, access slabs, and solar-powered street lights.
Community pledges support
In his remarks, the Managing Director of GELD Construction Company Limited, Nabeel Esawi, assured the governor that his company would deliver the project on schedule and to the highest technical standards.
READ ALSO: Abia govt reacts to fake report of Otti’s defection to APC
Mr Esawi thanked the state government for its support and reaffirmed GELD’s commitment to quality, durability, and professional integrity throughout the project.
He also appreciated the works commissioner, the ministry engineers, and the host community for their cooperation and urged continued collaboration to ensure the project’s timely completion.
Earlier, the President General of Ndume Otuka Development Union, John Onyiro, thanked the state government for its decision to fix the road to alleviate the suffering of the people in the area.
“We will work together to give adequate support to the construction company to ensure that this road project is successfully achieved,” Mr Onyiro said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Governor Otti also flagged off the 13.1-kilometre Ariam-Usaka Ring Road project in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.
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