Abia APC lauds Buhari over N25b Enugu-Lokpanta road rehabilitation

The leadership of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the sum of N25b for the completion of the failed portion of Enugu-Lopkanta section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. 
In a release signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Benedict Godson lamented the hardship and nightmares commuters and motorists have been passing through over the years on that particular spot said it was a big relief for the users of the road that President Buhari out of his magnanimity and continued love for the people of the state and southeast to have approved such sum for the road reconstruction.
Godson in the release went further to appeal to President Buhari and the minister of works,  Babatunde Fashola to come to the aid of road users of other federal roads in the state including the Osisioma section of Aba-Port Harcourt expressway, Aba-Ikot Ekpene, Aba-Azumini, Umuahia/Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene expressway and among other federal roads. This is even as he maintained that speedy completion of the ongoing construction of the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway will ease off the stress and experienced on the road by drivers and other road users. 
“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the approvals of N25 billion for the completion of the Enugu-Lokpanta section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway. That axis of the highway has been a huge problem for our people over the years and we’re happy it’s now taken care of.
“Nobody can deny the fact that under President Muhammadu Buhari’s led APC Federal Government, major Federal roads in the South East that were death traps have received serious attention.
“We all know about the Onitsha-Enugu highway. The Second Niger Bridge is no longer news because that bridge is seriously under construction. The Akanu Ibiam International Airport Project is not news anymore as FG has left their footprint there. 
“We sincerely appreciate Mr. President for all these projects which demonstrate inclusiveness in his developmental mission in Nigeria. For the first time, our people are seeing sincerity in Federal projects in our zone.
“We also know that serious works are ongoing in different sections of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. We’ve seen how the Okigwe-Umuahia section of that road has taken a new shape. We’re also aware of the speed of work at the Isiala-Ngwa axis of the same road approaching towards the Osisioma end of it. “We’ve also seen the recent approval for the construction of the Achingali-Udobi-Udona-Umuwana-Ubakala in our Abia State which will include a bridge across the Imo River in Imo State at the sum of N11.540 billion. These and more are wonderful and commendable projects from Federal Government and we appreciate them and thank Mr. President for them all.
“However, we plead for speedy attention on the Aba-Port Harcourt end of the Engu-Port Harcourt Expressway. That’s talking Osisioma down to Obehie, down to Obigbo and Port Harcourt. That axis of the road is seriously impending free flow of commercial activities between Aba and Port Harcourt.
“This is the first time a Federal Government is showing the people of South East sincerity in road construction since 1999 and we believe and ask that it will continue and take care of the situation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway from Osisioma-Obehie-Obigbo into Port Harcourt.
“We also wish to use this medium to draw the attention of the Federal Government and also remind the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs about the abandoned Obehie-Obohia-Azumini-Ukanafun highway. That road is a very important to the Niger Delta Region as it connects Abia oil producing and agrarian communities towns with their counterparts in Akwa-Ibom and Rivers State.
“It is a 50 kilometres road that starts from the Obehie Junction in Ukwa West LGA at the  Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway down to Ukanafun and Ekparakwa in Akwa-Ibom State. It has a diversionary link to Ogoni land in Rivers State. It was awarded Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited (CCECC) in 2010.
“The section from Ukanafun to Azumini is good, but from Obehie Junction through out the Ukwa axis are in bad shape and causing serious problems for our farmers, commuters traveling between Abia and Akwa-Ibom State. We plead with Niger Delta Ministry to go back to work on that road and safe our people from hardship.
“Both the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are doing their best in the nine states involved including Abia, but we plead with them to also remember the Aba-Opobo-Azumini highway. It’s one of the important roads in the Oil Producing Ukwa Federal Constituency. 
“The Aba-Opobo-Azumini highway also connects Abia state to Akwa-Ibom State.
“We also wish to talk about the Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway. We plead with the Federal to also look into it. 
“These are roads that their current situation if improved can automatically change the economic fortunes of our businessmen and women and make interstate commercial activities between Abia and her neighbouring states much easier.
“Also the exclusion of the South East in the first and second (incumbent) NDDC Interim Management Committee is giving us serious concerns and sends a wrong message to our people. We urge FG to urgently look into this because, we have two Oil Producing States in the Zone (Imo and Abia) and should representative in that team.
“We thank all Abia APC leaders ably led by Senator Orji Uzor-Kalu and urge them to continue to take Abia towards the right direction and more and more into the national politics through APC. 
“Today, our people are beginning to see what it actually means to belong to a ruling party. With the efforts of our political office holders in both Federal and State level, Abians have seen the difference and come 2023, APC will take over Abia Government House”, the release concluded.