Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has assured that his administrationi is determined to execute strategic projects that would boost socioeconomic development and improve the welfare of the citizens.
The Governor gave the assurance, Thursday, when he inaugurated the Gully Erosion Remediation Works and a 2.1 kilometres Road construction at Amuda-Achara, Isuochi, Umunneochi Local Government Area.
Also Commissioned by the Governor was a solar-powered street light and multipurpose solar dryer provided for the Umunneochi people by the Abia State government in collaboration with the World Bank through the Nigerian Erosion and Watershed Management Programme (NEWMAP).
Speaking during the occasion, Governor Ikpeazu said his adminstration would continually execute strategic projects aimed at enhancing rapid development in the State.
He expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to execute a project that reconnects the two communities of Amuda and Achara that would have been separated by gully erosion aaddingthat the devastating erosion which threatened the existence of the communities has been arrested.
“Abia North is within the gully erosion belt and happens to be an important integral part of the state,that makes it important for the state government to quickly intervene whenever issues of gully erosion arise,” he said.
The Governor said that the state government was able to execute the project through the payment of a counterpart fund of N750 million with the support of World Bank as well as provide other facilities to the communities.
He disclosed that apart from the erosion remediation work,his government has executed other projects in Umunneochi including the first bridge commissioned during his first tenure in addition to the provision of funds to tackle electricity issues among others.
In his address, the Project Coordinator, Abia NEWMAP, Mr Izuchukwu Onwughara,disclosed that the gully erosion was among the first five prioritized sites by Abia State at the inception of NEWMAP in 2012 but work could not commence due to unavailability of counterpart funds.
He added that the remediation works done at the Amuda-Achara gully erosion site was in 2015 facilitated by the active participation of the Governor Ikpeazu through the prompt payment of counterpart fund which made it possible for the intervention to take place.
Onwughara said that apart from the erosion remediation, and road construction, the project equally covered the livelihood enhancement programme and multi purpose solar dryer for drying foods for storage had been built to improve their welfare of the indigenes and urged the communities to own and maintain the projects.
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Earlier, the Chairman of Ummunneochi LGA,Mr Ifeanyi Madu, thanked the state government for its intervention in Amuda-Achara gully erosion noting that the Council would not relent in promoting the programmes and policies of the state government.
The event attracted many dignitaries including the Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu,member representing Umunneochi State Constituency, Okey Igwe, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Eze Chikamnayo, Chris Odinaka Igwe among other dignitaries.
