Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ikpene Highway: Tinubu’s decision will salvage situation – Onuigbo
The member representing South East in the Governing Board of North East Development Commission, NEDC, Sam Onuigbo, has said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s special intervention rekindled the hope for speedy completion of the construction of Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway.
He noted that the President’s directive for the handover of the remaining 25 kilometres out of the 49.5 kilometres road to the Abia State Government is not only a show of wisdom and kindness, but also a confirmation that the APC administration has the interest of the South East at heart.
Onuigbo, while addressing the press in Abuja on Wednesday, said he was pleased that the individual and collective aspiration of the people of his federal constituency received the Presidential attention.
He stressed that the road, which traverses Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Port Harcourt and even Cameroun holds much socio-economic benefits to the people.
Following progress report from the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi on the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene trunk A road, President Tinubu had intervened and road has been handed over to the Abia State Government for completion.
“This journey to the commencement of rehabilitation work dates back to the motion I personally moved on the floor of the House of Representatives on 26th May 2016 about the failed sections of the road, especially between Ndoro and Okweukwu Communities in Oboro Clan in Ikwuano Local Government Area,” he said.
“That was followed up with my first visit to the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, on the 14th of June, 2016.
“I recall with great sense of responsibility and nostalgic feelings the efforts made some years back to ensure the realization of this strategic road, which connects the West, the North and the East to the South-South states of Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, and even the neigbhouring Cameroun,” he added.
Onuigbo, who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South federal constituency in the 8th and 9th National Assembly, noted that previous efforts by the Federal Government resulted in the reconstruction of over 24.5 kilometres of the road, spanning the FMC – ORPET, Streams of Joy – Ahieke, Government College/ Mandy Filling Station to ABSU Campus/National Root Crops Research Institute.
He added that while major drainage work at the Research Institute has been completed, the Federal Government rounded off construction from Amawom – Isiala Oboro in Abia State, and Ikot Ekpene – Obot Akara in Akwa-Ibom State near the Army base at Ariam, Ikwuano Local Government Area, as well as, the reclaiming of a large gully erosion at Kilometre 10, Amawom community in Oboro clan.
He recounted the various interventions made to draw the Federal Government’s attention to the deplorable state of the road, stressing, “My SOS visit to the then Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola elicited instant reply from the then Minister through a letter referenced: DDHMS/CR/62/NPSS/IT/164 dated June 15, 2016.”
“One of the resolutions from the meeting,” he stated further, “was the directive to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to carry out palliative works on that road, particularly, the Ndoro – Okweukwu axis, and a commitment to award the road in 2017.”
The former lawmaker stated: “Again, following another letter to the Minister and other pressures and lobbying in my efforts towards the inclusion of the road project in the Appropriation Act, the Federal Government awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the road to Hartland Nigeria Limited and Rayccon & Company Nigeria Limited in 2019.
“Having observed the funding difficulties caused by recession and the impact of Covid-19, I wrote a letter dated September 27, 2021, to the Honourable Minister on the need to transfer the funding of the reconstruction work to special intervention agencies like the SUKUK Bond or the NNPCL Tax Credit Scheme.
“To the glory of God, these efforts bore fruits as the Federal Government via an Executive Order, approved the transfer of the sponsorship of the project to the NNPCL.”