Sam Onuigbo, member, representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South federal constituency in the House of Representatives, has appealed to residents and business operators along Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Federal road, to cooperate with contractors handling the road.
He urged them to make sure that crops and buildings that are within the right of way (RoW) are removed.
Onuigbo, who made the appeal at Umudike during a meeting with his constituents, disclosed that Raji Babatunde, minister of Works and Housing had asked him to convene the meeting, to plead with them to ensure that the contractors are not impeded as they resume work.
Recall that on October 27, 2021, the Federal Government approved the provision of alternative means of funding for the road, under the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Road Tax Credit Scheme.
The Federal lawmaker noted that this move had shone a huge light on the possibility of finally reconstructing this all-important road and raised hope tremendously.
He said that all these years he has been making frantic efforts to ensure that the road is realized and finally the help has come, adding that all should play their parts and ensure that there would be no inhibition to the speedy realization of the project.
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“As it was increasingly becoming obvious that contractors have been handicapped by paucity of funds, I sustained my pressure to convince the Minister on the need to find alternative means of funding the road including finding a way to include it as Sukuk project” he disclosed.
“ I am aware that even though the contractors, Messrs. Hartland Nigeria Limited and Raycon and Company Nigeria Limited, mobilized to site during the last quarter of 2019, the pace of work was very slow due to the inadequate release of funds by the Federal Government.
“As your representative, I have continued to push for an increase in funding during every budget cycle with relative success.
But, with paucity of funds a major challenge, I knew it was important to begin to find alternative means of funding if we are to realize our objective of tackling once and for all the deplorable state of the road” he further revealed.
Some of the stakeholders including; Azubuike Onyebuchi, a professor and medical director, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia and Maduebibisi Ofo, vice-chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, thanked Onuigbo for all his efforts so far and appealed to other stakeholders to co-operate with the contractors to ensure the speedy completion of the all-important road.
