GENERAL, General News, Political Briefs, Politics, Politics
Gov. Alex Otti of Abia, on Thursday, commissioned the 13.95-km Onuiyang-Okporoenyi-Amauro-Oboro-Ikwuano Road in Bende Local Government Area (LGA) for rehabilitation, to further drive even socioeconomic development in the state.
In a speech at the ceremony held at Okporoenyi Community, Otti said that he considered every community pivotal to his governance agenda.
He said that his government was determined to revive the state’s economy by creating an environment that supports the aspirations of the citizens.
“We have gathered this afternoon to witness another demonstration of our fidelity to the covenant that binds us as a people.
“This road traverses the North and Central Senatorial Districts and connects tens of thousands of farmers with the urban markets within and outside the state.
“The communities around this corridor are central to the state’s agricultural development framework, having been renowned for the quality and quantity of their farm produce, such as cocoa, cassava, cereals and vegetables.
“It is a miracle that you were able to achieve so much with very little support from previous governments over the decades,” he said.
Otti commended the community for its resilience to its trade and enormous contributions to the economic and social wellbeing of the people of Abia.
According to him, the road shall be completed on schedule and built to the highest standard.
He said that the road on completion would facilitate the transportation of people and agricultural produce, fasttract inter-community trade and broaden social interaction amongst individuals, families and clans.
“Roads, as I have consistently maintained, are not just about laying asphalt and creating new routes and in the new Abia we conceive roads as pathways to prosperity for present and future generations.
“A careful study of the trajectory of many Asian and Western nations indicate that quality roads drive sustained economic growth,” Otti said.
In a speech, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Otumchere Oti, said that the lack of good access roads had always made the marketing of farm produce extremely difficult in the area.
Oti said that the project would boost agriculture in the state, create employment and, by extension, impact positively on the state’s internally generated revenue.
“The road starts at the junction in the Umuahia-Bende Road in Onuiyang passing through Okporoenyi to Amauro and terminating at Amawom in Ikwuano LGA.
“It is 13.95-km long and to ensure its early completion, the road is divided into two sections.
“The section one, which is 7.15-km long, starts at Onuiyang and terminates at a point between Okporoenyi and Amauro.
“The section two starts at the end of section one and terminates at Amawom, measuring 6.8km,” he said.
Otti said that each section had a six-month contract period and the contractors were selected through transparent bidding process.
He said that the road would be built to be an asphaltic concrete road with a carriageway width of 6.0 meters and one-meter wide shoulders.
Oti also said that the road would consist of a pavement with 150-milimeter thick laterite softbase, 150-milimeter thick stonebase and 50-milimeter asphaltic concrete surfacing.
He further said that culverts and drains would be provided at deserving locations, while streetlights would be provided at built up areas with kilometer poles, road signs and markings.
Oti urged the residents to give the contractors their maximum support to make them feel at home and bring out their best in the execution of the project.
In separate speeches, Eze Ogbonnaya Iromantu of Okporoenyi Autonomous Community and Eze Innocent Ezeala of Ibe Uzo Amawom-Oboro Community thanked the governor for remembering the communities by rehabilitating the road.
They said that the road, which was constructed in 1952 by the then Eastern Nigeria Premier, Dr Michael Okpara, had been in a terrible state of disrepair over the years.
They also said that the road, when completed, would give a new lease of life to the various communities in the area and boost agricultural development in Abia. (NAN)
30th January, 2025.
A.E
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