Senator Darlington Nwokocha Urges FG To Investigate Abandoned Roads In Abia State

The lawmaker raised his concern about depleting state of the roads on the floor of the senate during plenary on Tuesday.

In his lead debate on the motion titled: "Urgent Need to Investigate the Delay in the Completion of Umuahia-Umudike-Ikot-Ekpene, Aba-Ikot- Ekpene, and Aba-Osisioma to Port-Harcourt Roads, Senator Nwokocha stressed on the urgency of the motion.

He noted that Aba-Osisioma-Port Harcourt, Umuahia-Umudike-Ikot Ekpene, and Aba to Ikot Ekpene, roads are critical national assets and Federal Government Category A interstate roads, traversing and connecting the South-East, South-South, South-West and Northern geo-political zones of the country.

The lawmaker also pointed out that the roads, which are central to the economic and social nerves of the cities of Aba, Umuahia, Uyo, Ikot-Ekpene, and Port-Harcourt, and serve as the arteries of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC-Limited) operations, providing the company an alternative channel for the distribution of Petroleum Products, as well as important Agricultural Produce Nationwide, has continued to dilapidate due to unaccountable delays in the completion of the projects.

Part of the motion reads:

"the roads absolve heavy-duty vehicles and serve as the major alternative routes for the movement of essential goods and passengers across the contiguous States of the South Fast, South-South, Western, and Northern States of the country with access to important national economic establishments like the Export Zones, Cement geries, and large Scale Manufacturing Concerns.

"the Federal Government awarded the Umuahia-Umudike-Ikot.Ekpene, Aba-lIkofExpene, and
Àba-Osisioma-Port-Harcourt roads to Messrs, CGCC Global Project Nigeria Limited, Heartland & Raycon Construction Company Limited, and China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCICC) respectively and funded by the NNPC-Limited pursuant to the Presidential Executive Order or signed in 2019 under the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme designed to boost Nigeria's national RoadS" Sit and marginally reduce critical infrastructure deficit in the country.

"despite expending in excess of 15 Billion since inception on these critical roads, the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road had only attained 6% completion as of April 2023, while the Aba-Ikot Ekpene
and Aba-Port-Harcourt roads continued deplorable states have led to the economic stagnation of the former boisterous commercial city of Aba with more than 1000 businesses closing down, and associated negative impact on the standard of living of households, youth unemployment, government revenues, and general productivity; and if not expeditiously addressed would worsen the devastating economic woes and threats to lives and property posed by the failed sections of the roads.

"Also disturbed that the land-locked situation and deprivation of economic means created by the unending deplorable state of the roads have significantly contributed to the escalating insecurity activities in the South-East and the loss of several precious human lives on the affected sections of roads over time; and Cognizant that the National Assembly has the constitutional mandate to conduct oversight over government policies, programs, and projects to ensure value for money, promotion of economic prosperity, protection of lives and property, and enhancement of sustainable national development of the country and every part thereofÔÇØ.

In his comment, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio promised to invite the Minister for Works and Housing and the minister for Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for further investigations.