Okey Sampson, Aba
Communities along the Aba- Ikot Ekpene federal highway have bemoaned the deplorable state of the road appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to order the Federal Ministry of Works to commence its rehabilitation.
In the last four years, the highway which is the major bridge between Akwa Ibom and Abia states, had been in a most deplorable state, making vehicular traffic impossible and frustrating trade and commerce between the two states.
The aggrieved communities who met under the aegis of Agalaba Patriotic Front (APF), Obingwa Council Area lamented that several businesses have closed shop, while articulated vehicles diverting from the bad spots have destroyed internal community roads and farmlands.
“As at today, over 45 businesses located on the road including hotels, filling stations, farm settlements, mechanic workshops and schools have closed shop. These businesses provided jobs to over 5,000 families. Now, they have shut down because the Federal Government refused to rehabilitate the road. Our people can no longer convey their agricultural produce to Aba town. We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Ministry of Works to commence rehabilitation of this all important road,” said President of the APF, Mr. Michael Dimiri.
Dimiri told journalists that the worst sections of the road was the Opobo junction to Ukpakiri as well as the stretch between Umuokpo and the Nigerian Christian Hospital, at Nlagu, a boundary community between Abia and Akwa Ibom.
He said in 2017, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Raji Fashola visited the area and pledged to rehabilitate the road.
Secretary of the group, Mr. Eugene Aliga, expressed the shock that the road had featured in the national budget since 2009, with funds earmarked for its repairs yet the Ministry of Works had failed to repair it.
