The former member of the House of Representatives and current Member representing the South-East on the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Hon Sam Onuigbo, has commended President Bola Tinubu for directing the handover of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Federal Road to the Abia State Government.
The decision which mandates the state government, led by Governor Alex Otti, to complete the reconstruction of the remaining 25 kilometres of the 49.5-kilometre strategic artery, received commendation from the former Lawmaker, during a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja.
Onuigbo expressed profound and sincere gratitude to the nation’s president, stating that the move further confirmed the assertion that the President has the interest of the South East at heart, describing it as a show of wisdom and kindness.
According to him, the Umuahia -Ikwuano- Ikot Ekpene road creates a critical infrastructure link, connecting several geopolitical zones and serving as a conduit to neighbouring Cameroon.
This announcement, marks the latest development in a project that Onuigbo has championed for nearly a decade.
He recounted that his advocacy began with a motion on the floor of the House of Representatives on 26 May 2016, concerning the “failed sections of the road, especially between Ndoro and Okweukwu Communities in Oboro Clan in Ikwuano Local Government Area.
“This was followed by a visit to the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in June 2016, which he said “elicited instant reply” and led to palliative works by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
Persistent lobbying eventually led to the federal government awarding the main reconstruction contract to Hartland Nigeria Limited and Rayccon & Company Nigeria Limited in 2019. However, the project stalled due to funding challenges.
In a letter dated 27 September 2021, Onuigbo proposed to the minister that financing be shifted to “special intervention agencies like the SUKUK Bond or the NNPCL Tax Credit Scheme.” This effort, he noted, “bore fruits,” resulting in an Executive Order that transferred the project’s sponsorship to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under its Tax Credit Scheme”.
Onuigbo further framed the president’s final handover decision as a fulfilment of his inaugural pledge to continue the Buhari administration’s infrastructure focus, quoting President Tinubu’s speech to continue the efforts of the Buhari administration on infrastructure.
The former lawmaker extended his gratitude to Governor Alex Otti for his cooperation and to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his continuous supervision and technical guidance. He called on the people of Abia State and the wider South-East to fully support the Renewed Hope administration, while urging communities along the route to sustain their cooperation with the contractors.
