Former President Olusegun Obasanjo cutting the tape to officially inaugurate the newly constructed Umuola road in Aba. With him from L-R: Eziuche Ubani, former Abia State deputy governor, Eric Acho Nwakanma, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, and former governor of Osun State, Olagusoye Oyinola, recently. Photo credit: Ibeabuchi Abarikwu
Emmanuel Ugwu, in Umuahia, writes on the Abia State governor’s massive road construction initiative in the commercial city of Aba
The sprawling commercial city of Aba was a big electoral issue during the last general election. Its electoral value was not restricted to Abia State. The presidential candidates also recognised the electoral value of the commercial hub, fondly called Enyimba City.
They made promises to enhance its commercial and industrial value by providing the needed infrastructure, especially roads. When he came to Abia in search of votes for his second term bid, the then president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, took time off to address the organised private sector at the Aba Sports Club. He promised to make Aba feel the federal presence due to its importance in the nation’s economic growth. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was then the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, also left some good words for Aba when he came on campaign visit.
At the local level, the governorship candidates were all engrossed with the poor state of infrastructure in Aba. Each of them was armed with an impressive plan to turn things around in Enyimba. At campaign rallies and at the various fora organised by some groups for the candidates to present their manifestoes, Aba was a dominant feature.
Changing the Face of Aba
Things were so bad for the Enyimba residents that they felt abandoned by government and they never failed to express their collective disappointment openly. Even when Dr Okezie Ikpeazu emerged as governor, the residents of Aba were highly sceptical of his sincerity to keep his promise of changing the face of Enyimba city. They just didn’t believe he would tackle the huge infrastructural deficit of the city. Indeed, they just didn’t believe that an Ngwa man could deliver good governance that could positively turn things around for Enyimba city. But in the last seven months Ikpeazu has proved the sceptics wrong.
The traditional ruler of Etiti-ohazu autonomous community in Aba South local government, Eze Ismael Iheanyichukwu Nnakwu, said Ikpeazu’s attention to Aba and other parts of the state has “removed shame from our faces”. According to him, some people had been deriding Ngwa people that they lack the capacity to govern the state but Ikpeazu has now amply demonstrated the capacity of an Ngwa man to deliver quality governance. The gloom on the faces of Aba residents is fast disappearing as Ikpeazu lives up to his electoral promise of revamping the city. Brand new roads are appearing in several parts of the city and old ones are receiving face-lift.
Testimonies
Good road is the first item on the shop list of what Aba residents want from government. This was amply demonstrated on January 21, when Ikpeazu went to flag-off four additional roads in Aba. As the bulldozer began to bulldoze earth and debris on the long abandoned Ohazu road, a woman ran out of one of the shanties and screamed in vernacular “government has finally remembered us.” She was expressing a strong sentiment of appreciation as the people of Etiti-ohazu Autonomous community had been condemned to live in slum with no access road. Even the Obohia road, which the Niger Delta Development Commission awarded its contact, was abandoned without the contractor moving to site. The people were, therefore, taken aback when Ikpeazu came calling and flagged-off four strategic roads each given to a different contractor.
Transition chairman of Aba South local government, Hon Okezie Erondu, lauded Ikpeazu for his decision to construct the roads, saying, “By doing these roads you are touching the lives of 40 per cent of people living in Aba metropolis.” He said the roads formed a ring road that made for easy connection to Port Harcourt road without having to pass through the centre of the city.
Ikpeazu is very passionate about giving roads to Abia people. There are 47 on-going road projects across the state. The commercial city of Aba alone accounts for 29 or 62 per cent of the road projects. The preponderance of road projects in Aba was underscored by the strategic importance of the city to the internally generated revenue base of the state. According to Ikpeazu, “If you get Aba right, you’ll get Abia right.” As a homeboy, the governor was sure of his words and has been striving to satisfy the yearnings of the people. After the initial slow pace of work during the rains, works on the roads have been going on fast pace. Seven roads have so far been completed and launched in Aba and that has given the residents stronger cause to believe that Ikpeazu means business.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was on hand on December 19 last year to inaugurate the first set of three roads to be completed by the Ikpeazu administration. The inaugurated roads include Ommne Drive, Kamalu Road, and Umuola Road, which were built with “cement technology” adopted by the Ikpeazu government to make the roads durable. Obasanjo, who was in Abia in company with former Osun governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was quite impressed with Ikpeazu’s determination to make things better for the people of Abia. Describing him as “an achiever”, the former president expressed confidence in Ikpeazu’s capacity to deliver on his campaign promises to the people of Abia.
Since then more completed roads have emerged, to the delight of Enyimba residents. The additional roads already completed include Enuc Road; Owerre Road, off Okigwe Road, Umuocham Road, from Ukwuakpu to Tonimass; Umule Road to Seven Deck in Faulks Road; Ochefu Road, and Wiggs Road.
Easy Access
With these completed roads what is emerging now is that Aba residents could easily leave the city from any part without having to pass through the city centre. This was hitherto a tall order given the absence of access roads to connect different parts of the metropolis. For instance, going to the capital city of Umuahia would no longer be time consuming for people living at Ogbo Hill area of Aba.
With the newly completed Umuola road they now have the advantage of making a detour through Umuola road, avoiding the gridlock of Umuoba road to connect directly Ururuka road and head straight to Umuahia. The Ururuka road, which is a very important route between the commercial city and the capital city, is being dualised by Ikpeazu. The road, which passes through four local governments, is an indispensible alternative to the Enugu – Port Harcourt expressway, which has been rendered a nightmare to motorists due to years of neglect by the federal authorities.
The fact that Aba is at the heart of economic survival of Abia is not lost on Ikpeazu. At the just concluded First Aba Urban Development Summit he told the gathering that he was determined to do the needful to unlock the full potential of Abia’s commercial and industrial nerve centre. He has also assured that all the 28 road projects going on simultaneously in Aba would be completed.
The governor stated that the idea of convening the summit was borne out of the desire of his administration to pull Aba back on its feet as an economic and industrial hub. But he was quick to point out that the infrastructural challenges facing Enyimba city was so huge that that state government would not be able to shoulder them alone. He urged development partners and interested individuals and organisations to help government find solutions for holistic development of Aba.
Durability
Aba is getting not just roads but quality roads. Ikpeazu has vowed to build only roads that would last. Indeed, part of the factors that contributed to collapse of infrastructure in Aba is the poor quality of roads built in the past. Without drainages and without consideration for soil nature the roads were built and it was only a matter of time before they collapsed, leaving the city dwellers to agonise. But Ikpeazu has begun to correct the mistakes of the past. The roads he is building come with drainages and street lights and he has pledged to maintain this standard.
Durability
Aba is getting not just roads but quality roads. Ikpeazu has vowed to build only roads that would last. Indeed, part of the factors that contributed to collapse of infrastructure in Aba is the poor quality of roads built in the past. Without drainages and without consideration for soil nature the roads were built and it was only a matter of time before they collapsed, leaving the city dwellers to agonise. But Ikpeazu has begun to correct the mistakes of the past. The roads he is building come with drainages and street lights and he has pledged to maintain this standard.
He has gone further to introduce cement technology in the construction of roads to ensure durability. According to the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Eziuche Ubani, the technique was adopted despite the higher cost it attracts. “There are variation issues in some of the roads because after the contracts were awarded, the need to use cement technology arose, hence the change in the cost as cement technology costs more. Nonetheless, the additional cost is worth it given the quality of roads already completed using the cement technology method. These include Ochefu road, Owerre road, Enuc road, Umuola and Ukaegbu roads,” Ubani said.
To ensure that no part of Aba is forgotten, as residents used to say, the Commissioner for Works usually go on fact finding visits to get first-hand information on the condition of roads in every part of the city. He revealed that it was during such inspection visits that he discovered the dire state of the roads in Etiti-ohazu area of the metropolis. Recounting his experience Ubani said: “When I went to that area I cried because I don’t know how people survive during the rainy season. Nobody has done any construction there since the days of Sam Mbakwe (Second Republic governor of old Imo State). There is a place around Ibere Street where no vehicle, including bicycles, can pass. Trees are growing in the middle of the road. It leads to Nkwo Ngwa market, Ozuomba and Port Harcourt Road.”
Apparently acting on the fact-finding report of his works commissioner, Ikpeazu himself went to see things for himself and concluded that Ohazu, Ibere, Ozuomba and Obohia roads needed urgent attention. Few days later, he was back to flag-off the construction of the roads. Unfortunately, Obohia road was left out. This strategic road that leads to Ukwa was among the many abandoned projects by the NDDC. Ikpeazu explained with regrets that the road was tied down by a subsisting contract awarded by NDDC and every effort he made so far to free the road from NDDC grip had failed. But he has not given up. The governor said he would keep trying to untangle Obohia road from NDDC contract to enable him construct he road. “If NDDC cannot do it, we will do it,” he asserted.
With the changing road network of Aba Ikpeazu is winning back the minds of Aba residents. Their unbridled antagonism towards his administration at its inception has given way to appreciation and admiration. The practical demonstration of Ikpeazu’s mission to transform Aba has so touched the people that they have abandoned their usual resistance to government programmes. Those that erected illegal structures are not complaining as bulldozers pull them down. In some cases the owners of the structures on the right of way personally dismantle them in order not to obstruct construction work. Everybody is ready to sacrifice for the good of Aba. At last, Ikpeazu has got the residents of Enyimba flowing with him.
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