The Ebonyi State Government has signed the contract for the construction of additional two lots of the Last Phase of the Abakaliki Ring road Project.
The signing ceremony took place at the Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, Ochoudo Centenary City, Abakaliki on Wednesday.
Speaking after the signing of the contract, Governor Umahi congratulated the Contractors for fulfilling the prerequisite to be awarded the job.
While restating his administration’s commitment to ensure completion of the project within the life span of his administration, Governor Umahi urged the contractors to swiftly mobilize to the site.
He appealed to the Local Government Chairmen and Traditional Rulers to provide the contractors’ borrow pits for excavation of sands and security for seamless execution of the project.
“The project is now a reality, the 199km of the ring road, we have done about 53. For the avoidance of doubt, this loan started with my predecessor but he had a lot of hitches so when we came on board, we approached Mr. President who isolated Ebonyi State’s request to Senate who approved it, so today we are very excited.
“We need to move as fast as possible because the project has no variation, we want you to bring your equipment to the site, we need to move as fast as possible knowing that the project has no variation, so the earlier, the better for all of us.
“I want to congratulate you people, very highly and appeal to our Traditional Rulers to please give them borrow pits to do a good job, if we have good laterite, the road will last and I insist that the Traditional Rulers and Local Government Chairmen should provide them the Ebubeagu so that they will be able to stay on-site in peace and do the job. If one Community is giving them trouble, then it may run into a problem so, at the end of the day, it will not be finished, so, you have to provide an atmosphere that will help us project the progress of the project.
“The market of Effium will now be a reality and I am very excited at the market, we have some social intervention projects to bless the Stakeholders around there so the Stakeholders can agree though I have directed that the Stakeholders should know how to do something in Ezza South and Ikwo for late Engineer Nweze and Uche Okah, the only way to pay them back is to finish the work.
In another development, Governor Umahi clarified that Godfrey Chikwere was not arrested by the State Government but was arrested by the Law for peddling inciting fake news on social media.
“You see the Godfrey, I did not arrest him, na law arrest am, it is important to know now that we have a law on fake news and both my aides and Journalists should know that fake news coming from anybody is now answerable and there is nothing wrong, the Federal Government has their Cybercrime and unless we deploy this, our society will continue to go bad. You can’t just wake up and begin to tarnish people’s image.”
He warned people of the State against trading in fake news, insisting that the law would continue to take its course to ensure normalcy in the Society.
The Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Ogbonnaya Obasi Abara said the contractors had fulfilled all prerequisites for the award of the contract and Express hope that they would deliver the project and according to specifications.
On-behalf of Chairmen of Local Government Areas benefitting from the project, the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Chief Clement Odah said the project when completed would scale up economic activities in the area.
He assured of the collaboration of the Council areas to ensure the realization of the project.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, Speaker, Right Honourable Francis Nwifuru, members of the State Executive Council, Chairmen of Local Government Areas, Coordinators of Development Centres, and Traditional Rulers from the benefitting areas.