by Abia state Governor, Dr Alex Otti has flagged off the reconstruction of the 67 kilometer Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Akara-Ohafia road.
Speaking while flagging of the road construction, the Governor said that his government is in a hurry as it wants to recover lost ground.
He said the government do not have time to waste as that informed the choice of 3 contractors to undertake the job simultaneously.
The Governor said he wants the project to be completed as quickly as possible and must be delivered to specification within record time.
Governor Otti said it was his desire that Abia people move on motorable road, and to be able to easily evacuate their farm produce.
“We want our people to move on roads that are motorable. We want people who are doing business in all the nooks and crannies of Abia to be able to evacuate their products and come to the townships to sell them.
We want all our leaders to feel free, those who live in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Aba and all parts of the state to feel free to come back to their villages to spend time, spend money and stimulate the economy in the villages so that our people will also have a good life, that is how economy moves “Governor Otti said.
He called on well to do Abians who resides outside the state to begin to visit their communities more frequently as a way of stimulating the local economy.
Governor Otti said that the whole idea for embarking on the road project is to strategically open up the communities so that the people can begin to enjoy good life, stressing that all his administration is doing is to maintain the state’s position as the first.
“How can you be first when your roads from every nooks and crannies are in serious dilapidation, how can you be first if your hospitals are now where people go to and don’t come out alive, how can you be first if your schools are in serious state of disrepair, how can you be first if your people can not sleep with their two eyes closed, how can you be first if the environment is littered with garbage?
Any time you breathe, you breathe in foul air, so those are the things we decided to deal with as quickly as we took over office and we are very intentional about that “Governor noted.
The Governor thanked Abians for their support and implored them to discharge their civic responsibilities of paying their taxes and other legitimate levies to enable government do more for them.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for works, Mr Otumchere Otti disclosed that section one of the road construction covers Umuahia to Uzuakoli.
He thanked the Governor for his commitment to ensure that all nooks and crannies of the state receive government’s attention, with respect to road infrastructure.
The Commissioner said that the first phase covering Umuahia to Uzuakoli is to be be rehabilitated into a two-lane road, adding that the contract includes repair of failed sections, construction of culverts and drainages as well as provision of street lights.
He encouraged the communities to cooperate with the contractors to enable them deliver the job on schedule.
In their speeches, the Mayor of Umuahia North LGA, Chief Victor Ikeji, that of Isuikwuato, Air Vice marshall Young Onyeike (Rtd) and that of Ohafia LGA, Chief David Ogba-Onuoha appreciated Governor Alex Otti for being steadfast in his vision and noted that in less than one year, the Governor has transformed Abia into a huge construction site.
They said that the flag off of the road construction is a manifestation of the Governor’s love for their people and expressed the hope that the project will enhance economic lives of the people.
The event attracted the presence of notable Abians including Senator Darlington Nwokocha, the Deputy Speaker, Abia House of Assembly, Chief Austin Nmeregini, members of the state Executive Council, the second deputy Chairman, Abia state Council of Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Uwakwe Ukaegbu, host of Traditional Rulers from Umuahia North led by Eze Innocent Nwaigwe among others.
