Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has assured that all ongoing road projects including the controversial Osisioma Flyover, repair of Faulks road, among others will be tidied up within this dry season window.
The Governor was speaking in a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge, Aba, amidst wide spread criticism by a section of Abia citizens about the dilapidated state of some roads in the state especially in Aba.
He accused some forces within the federal Government of a deliberate plan and conspiracy by to stifle the good people of Abia state and their economy.
The Abia Chief Executive lamented that while most of his colleagues in other states have received and continued to receive several billions of Naira in refund for their interventions on federal roads in their states, Abia state under his watch has not received a dime despite his administration obvious intervention on many federal roads in the state.
“For the sake of the interest of our people, we have intervened on many federal roads in Abia since 2015 to make business activities easy and also to improve the lot of our people.
“But sadly, enough we have not been receiving the needed encouragement from the government at center like most other states.
“I have not received any refund from the federal government for jobs done on federal roads since the life of my administration.
“This development has been a serious setback to the state in that the federal government will neither step in to do these roads itself nor encourage us to do them.
“This has resulted in to serious impediment for our people as well as the economic activities of the state. I want to believe that there is a deliberate conspiracy against Abia state by the federal government of Nigeria,” Ikpeazu stated.
The governor also lamented that in some cases some forces within the federal authorities have frustrated moves made to fix some roads considered to be pivotal to the economic growth of the state
He said: “You see in the case of Ekeakpara road in Aba, it is a fact that we had fully mobilized contractors to the road, when suddenly some forces stepped in to stop work claiming that being a federal, the federal government was going to rehabilitate it.
“That is why that road is still in such a bad state. They have not done that road and they have refused to allow us to do it.”
He insisted that a good number of roads have already been done in Aba and assured that the rebuilding of infrastructure in the town is work in progress which will continue throughout the life of his administration.
He blamed the failure of some portions of Faulks road to the fact that based on the appeal by the some key interest groups in Aba for the opening of the road before its completion and against the advice of the contractor, which exposed the uncompleted road to the harsh effects of heavy duty vehicles conveying tiles, cement and other commodities.
He however made it clear that all was set for the repair of the bad portions of the road, stating that the very bad portions will be tackled using the Rigid Pavement Technology.
The Governor said that a decent portion of the road is still standing and reminded Abians that it was his administration that made it possible for Faulks road to be used seamlessly for the firs time, end to end, in about 30 years and assured that the road will be fully recovered within this dry season window.
According to him, the interest of his government in Faulks road is hinged on its strategic relevance to the economy of the State describing insinuations that over 6 billion Naira was paid to the contractor as mischievous, as no such amount has been spent on the road.
He restated fact that the road was not completed and handed over to the government by the contractor and as such, it was impossible for such amount to have been paid.
Ikpeazu disclosed that he has been doing roads in Aba in strategic clusters to enhance the economy of the State, informing that such roads as Ehere, Ukaegbu and Umuola, Owerrinta, Ochefu and Weeks as well as the Osusu and ongoing Omuma and Faulks roads will all be completed within the windows of the dry season.
On Port Harcourt Road, the Governor noted it is designed to have six lanes, assuring that two lanes will be delivered in the interim, within this dry season window, while the remaining four will be completed in due course, while end-to-end drainage on Port Harcourt Road has been completed from Asa Nnentu on the Express Junction to No. 1 Port Harcourt Road.
He said the cluster of roads in Obohia, Ohanku, Ozuomba and Ngwa roads and their environs will also be done.
The Governor assured that the contractor handling both the flyover and the Teaching Hospital Road will return to site shortly, stating that the Teaching Hospital Road will be pushed up to Junction where soldiers are stationed, in the interim, before the diversion to the express way.
He affirmed that the Osisioma flyover will be completed within this same dry season window, while waiting for the contractor handling the Federal road to complete that segment to enable it align our work and tidy up the interchange.
According to the Governor, the persistent rains this year have delayed the commencement of work on most of these roads, told the people of Aba that they will witness a very significant change in condition of Aba roads by the time this dry season window wraps up.
He urged the people of Aba and Abia State to remain confident in the economic fortunes of the State, noting that an international financial institution like the Afrexim Bank would not be investing 50 Million Dollars in the Geometric Power Project if they were not confident in the power of our economy.
In a vote of thanks, the Honorable Commissioner for Works, Barrister Bob Chiedozie Ogu added that the ongoing rehabilitation of Aba Owerri Road will continue until the work is completed and appealed to the people to bear with the government.
He thanked the Governor for creating the platform to inform the public about the plans on roads in Aba.
Deputy Governor Sir. Ude Oko Chukwu and the Honorable Commissioner for Documentation and Strategic Communications, Mr. Ugochukwu Emezue and the State Chairman of the PDP, Rt. Hon. Asiforo Okere were present at the briefing.
