The Abia State Government has encouraged the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP to give the State rural quality roads it deserves.
Speaking when he received in audience representatives of RAAMP in his office at the Government House, Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti, pointed out that the road projects his administration has embarked upon are of standard and would like RAAMP to replicate the same in all their projects in the State.
Gov. Otti who was represented by his Deputy, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu, expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with RAAMP and the World Bank to have road projects properly done in the State.
“When we talk about building roads, the Southern part of Nigeria happens to be a rainforest unlike the North, where their soil formation is very solid and not much rain. So, using laterite without a stone base to build a road is just like making a mockery of the whole thing.
“Abia State would like to boast of the good job done by RAAMP. Abia would like to have the first RAAMP road that will stand the taste of time”, Gov. Otti stated further.
Speaking also, the State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Otumchere Oti, harped on the need for RAAMP road projects to meet the laid down specifications and standards of the state, maintaining that anything short of that, amounts to waste of resources.
Oti said, “We have specifications for rural roads which are domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Works and that is the standard we are using. I regret to say that the specification for RAAMP road will not meet the minimum standard required for our rural roads”
Earlier in her address, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Felix, stated the desire of the present administration in the State to have durable roads, and sustainable so that successive administrations will channel their resources to other developmental projects and not revisit the roads done.
She disclosed that Gov. Otti’s administration has built over 100 roads and has rehabilitated and reconstructed most roads through the Ministry of Works.
In addition, she requested for technical review of the RAAMP road specification from the Engineers.
In their respective speeches, the representatives of RAAMP National, Engr. Hassan Aliyu and Mr. Emmanuel Agu suggested that the government engage consultants who will traverse the rural areas and come up with their professional advice, and technical facts which cannot be disputed.
