Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has said that his administration’s investments in infrastructure, especially Aba, it’s commercial hub is to boost commerce and attract fresh investments in the state.
Ikpeazu, while addressing journalists at the Governor’s Lodge, Aba, Wednesday, stated that his administration has successfully completed fortyone (41) roads in Aba.
Aba had decayed road infrastructure, before Ikpeazu assumed office in 2015.
To rehabilitate the roads, the Governor said his administration is dealing with the roads in clusters, noting that if you deal with a stretch of road and the adjoining roads are not taken care of, the road will not give you the socio-economic benefit you desire.
This is because a cul-de-sac is as useless as a bad road, because it leads to nowhere, it has no economic value, Ikpeazu stated.
“That is why we tidied up Ukaegbu, Umuola and Ehere roads. That is also why we tidied up Owerrinta, Ochefu and Weeks roads.
“That is why we have done Osusu road, we are now doing Omuma road and we are doing Faulks road.
“It is a community of roads, so that you can move around that place and it will make socioeconomic meaning”.
To completely recover Cemetery road, which falls within the cluster of Eziukwu, the Governor said that they are taking Eziukwu up to Eziukwu market, to handle the flooding problem in that area.
He stated also that they will do Cameroon road, Ehi road and then tie it to Railway road, so that by the time we do Eziukwu, which crosses the rail, we would have tied up that community and Eziukwu road will now tangent on the drainage that has been already done on Port Harcourt road, headed to Ngwa road.
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“So, it’s only strategic, but unfortunately, strategy is not something that anybody, who doesn’t have understanding can figure out”.
He assured that Cemetery is on its plans, stressing that Eziukwu road will not make sense unless Cemetery road is recovered.
In addition to Cemetery road, Ikpeazu promised that his administration will recover Ehi road and Railway Street, because water will pass through the railway to Waterside.
On Ozuomba road, the Governor said that the narrative of the road falls into the strategic cluster of Ibadan, Ibere, Emejiaka, Onyebuchi roads.
According to him, “We have done Ibadan street, we are doing Ibere, which we have done part of and we are completing it now.
“As we go for Emejiaka, we have done Onyebuchi, Ozuomba will naturally kick in.
“I had a small problem with a contractor handling that road.
What drives me to pay a contractor is hard work. I don’t reinforce failure. When I see someone that is not doing well, I find it difficult to condone such a person, because we don’t have money to throw away.
“I want to assure you that this cluster of Ibadan, Ibere, Emejiaka Onyebuchi will not be complete, unless Ozomba is tidied up.
“Now, Azikiwe road of course is on our dashboard for complete end to end overlay. And that is the only way that Eziukwu road will make sense, because if you pick up Eziukwu, you must pick Azikiwe road to create access to Ngwa road market and from Okigwe road to Ariaria International market.
On Port Harcourt road, Ikpeazu assured that the Government has paid N1 billion to the contractor handling that road to asphalt one lane, while it is planning to provide additional funds to ensure it provides the second lane before the end of the coming dry season.
