The Minister of Works, David Umuahi, has stated that 11 federal road projects are now underway in Abia State.
Speaking while inspecting federal roads in the state, where he was greeted by Governor Alex Otti, Umahi requested the governor’s assistance in resolving issues concerning the construction of a caravan park at Arungwa Aba, saying the state government should acquire the land and partner with the federal government to develop it in collaboration with the private sector.
He praised Otti for delivering noticeable advancements to Abia within a few months after taking office.
The minister listed the roads as follows: section one of the Port Harcourt-Enugu Express road, which runs from Lokpanta to Abia Tower in Umuahia, which is 100 per cent completed with a trailer park, and section two of the road runs from Umuahia Tower to Aba; rehabilitation of Umuahia–Ikwuano to Ikot Ekpene–Umudike Road with a length of 49.2km; section of Nkporo-Abiriba-Ohafia Road, awarded in 2012, that has been abandoned; Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia section one awarded in 2018; Aba-Owerri Road awarded in 2020 and others.
Otti stated that the state was willing to work with the federal government to repair federal highways in the state. He bemoaned the stress individuals face when travelling to Aba from Port Harcourt, claiming that a 30-minute ride now takes at least three hours.
The governor also called attention to the Umuahia-Bende-Abriba-Ohafia pipeline, which he said was initially given by the Petroleum Trust Fund while former President Muhammadu Buhari was Chairman of the PTF under the late General Sani Abacha’s dictatorship.
cc: Punch Ng
