There is fresh hope that the people of Enugu West senatorial district would soon have some reprieve with the completion of most of the ongoing and abandoned road projects in the district.
This is coming at a time Osita Ngwu, the senator representing the Enugu West Senatorial District, recently visited all-ongoing and abandoned Federal Road projects embarked on by his predecessor for the constituency.
Speaking during the project inspection of his visit to Amukwu Affa in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, the lawmaker rekindled optimism for the people of his constituency when he vowed to ensure all abandoned and ongoing projects in the district receive the desired attention of the government through his constructive engagements with relevant ministries and agencies.
Ngwu, who was recently conferred with the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, said the inspection was to ascertain the state of work on the road project following the resumption of activities by IDC Construction Ltd.
The senator led an entourage comprising local government council officials and some party members to inspect the ongoing Udi North Ring Road, which covers the Ikedimkpa-Amokwu-Egede Umuoka-Ojieyu-Awhum-Umulumgbe stretch.
The road project was attracted by Ike Ekweremadu, a former Senator of Enugu West in 2018, and according to the report, only 15 percent of the project has been done due to lack of sufficient funds.
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A representative of the contractor named Youssef informed the Senator that the contract was for a 14-kilometer ring road awarded in 2018 at a cost of N6 billion.
He said the 15 percent deposit of the contract sum paid was used to construct only 4 kilometers.
He said construction work on another 4km has commenced following the release of an N2 billion SUKUK fund to the contractor.
The company representative, who promised that the 4km would be completed before Christmas, appealed to the Senator to assist the company in getting more funds released to cover the entire 14km.
He assured that the company has the necessary equipment and manpower to complete the road eight months before the next rainy season if funds were made available.
Addressing the contractors and the people of the Affa Community, Ngwu thanked the construction company for mobilising to the site and for progressing on the road projects.
“What we notice is that sometimes the reason projects fail is that releasing N100 million for an N10 billion project is not even enough to bring the equipment to the site, and this delays the project. We will give you all the support by making sure everything goes well. We are still going to make sure that we talk to the government so that extra funds will be released,” he said.
While addressing members of the community, the Senator urged them to continuously support the Enugu State Government and the Federal Government and promise that he will do all within his ability to ensure the ministry overseeing the project releases funds to enable the completion of the road and other roads within his constituency.
