Prominent Abia leader and former deputy governorship candidate, Dr. Chima Anyaso, has hailed Governor Alex Otti for reconstructing the historic Omenuko Bridge, describing the project as a long-overdue intervention that has ended decades of tragedy and political neglect in Abia North.
Speaking to journalists on Friday during the official commissioning of the bridge, Anyaso said the project represents more than infrastructure, calling it “a debt repaid” to families who suffered losses on the once-dangerous crossing for over half a century.
According to him, successive administrations had failed to address the deteriorating state of the bridge, which was originally constructed in 1955 and had become a symbol of administrative neglect. For over two decades, he noted, the bridge was repeatedly used as a campaign promise, with claims of federal contract awards that never materialised.
Anyaso paid an emotional tribute to the late global evangelist, Uma Ukpai, who passed away in October 2025. He recalled the tragic accident that claimed members of Ukpai’s family on the old, narrow bridge — a story that had lingered in public memory and reinforced its reputation as “jinxed.”
“Today, after governments have come and gone, the administration of Dr. Alex Otti has decided to fix this bridge. It is very significant, and I am sure the people of Abia North are grateful,” Anyaso said. “I wish our daddy, Reverend Uma Ukpai, was alive to witness this great event. As children, we heard how his family members died in an accident on this bridge while returning from Umuahia.”
He described the reconstruction as both symbolic and practical, restoring safe passage for commuters while closing a painful chapter in the region’s history.
Residents and stakeholders at the commissioning expressed optimism that the project signals a broader commitment by the Otti administration to infrastructure renewal across Abia State.
