The Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has sent a message of goodwill to the good people of Abia State on the fifth anniversary of his emergence as Governor of the State.
In a release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka, the Governor insisted that his vision for a stronger Abia remains intact and renewed his total commitment to the Abia dream.
The statement quoted the Governor thus “as we mark the first anniversary of our second term in office and our fifth year in the service of our state, I make bold to state that even in the face of daunting challenges, we have made tremendous progress in practically every facet of governance and evidence abound that we shall finish very strong in our quest to stabilize governance in our state.”
The Governor in the release noted that since the beginning of his second term, efforts have been made to deal with the challenges of infrastructure, especially in the capital city of Umuahia and Aba, the SME capital of Nigeria. According to the Governor “we have completed the reconstruction of the first phase of Aba Road which is a major entry point into the state capital and the finished work is a beauty to behold, a solid dual carriage way that proudly welcomes you into our capital city, handled by a first grade and internationally recognized construction company, Arab Contractors. Work has also started on the second phase.
Currently, we are embarking on the reasphalting of major roads in Umuahia town.”
The plan he stated is to have one solid stretch of road from Ubakala Junction through Isi Court, Aba Road, Isi Gate, Umuwaya Road all the way to the Uwalaka Road Junction at Gariki. Upon completion, he maintains, it would have functional solar powered street lights operating through the night to ensure smooth vehicular traffic and give the capital the desired aesthetic look.
The Governor in the release revealed that “for the very first time since the creation of Abia State, our state owned Broadcasting Corporation, the BCA has been hooked to the National Grid. We have successfully completed an Injection Substation designed to provide power to the corporation and save money hitherto spent on diesel. This substation will also assist us power the street lights around the adjoining Ogurube layout in Umuahia.” He further said that in Aba, “our efforts at rebuilding broken infrastructure remains on course. We have rebuilt the first phase of Eziukwu Road, making it possible for our people to connect Eziukwu Road to Okigwe Road, something that has been impossible for several years. Work is ongoing at the adjoining Ojike and Milverton Roads, and they shall be ready in a short while. It is important to note that the Eziukwu Road project is designed to run all the way to Cemetery Road through the Market there. Our plan is to ensure that the entire stretch of Eziukwu Road is rebuilt to first class standard.
Work on Osusu Road has reached advanced stages and we make a commitment to complete it.”
He informed that “Our flyover project, the Osisioma Interchange is fully on course and will be completed and commissioned this year for the use of our people,” disclosing that work is ongoing on several other roads in the State. He reassured the residents of Aba that the 27.4 Billion Naira project for the reconstruction of Ngwa Road, Uratta Road, Port Harcourt Road, Obohia and Ohanku Roads will completely and permanently change the infrastructural landscape of the city for the better and asked for their cooperation with the contractors when they start the work in a few days.
Governor Ikpeazu thanked God for his mercies in Abia and appreciated the people of the State for their patience and understanding as the government was faced with the difficult decision to lockdown the State and enforce several other measures designed to protect our people at a time like this. He urged the people to continue to take their health very seriously and obey those protocols designed to ensure our collective safety.
Governor Ikpeazu whose goodwill message reveals various efforts of his administration also called on people to pray for the respose of the departed soul of the Honorable Commissioner for Environment, the Late Dr. Solomon Ogunji.