Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State Government has paid its N750million counterpart fund to the World Bank for flood control and road construction projects in Aba.
Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi-Kalu, listed the projects to include Obohia, Ngwa and part of Uratta and Port Harcourt roads, while the flood control project would involve an underground tunnel along Uratta and Obohia roads designed to move storm water from Uratta and Umuagbai loch to Aba River.
Okiyi-Kalu in a statement described the flood control project tagged, “Aba Emergency Flood Mitigation Works for Uratta and Umuagbai Flood Plains” as a World Bank funded project, but managed by Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).
The commissioner said the reconstruction of Ngwa, Obohia and Port Harcourt roads were delayed to enable the World Bank project take off and put in place a more durable road for the people.
He said that as part of the scope of the work, Ngwa Road would be excavated in the middle to establish an underground tunnel leading to waterside.
Okiyi-Kalu disclosed that as a result of the increased volume of water that the Aba River was expected to witness, the government had undertaken to dredge waterside.
The dredging project he said was fully integrated into the urban renewal plan for Aba and would effectively solve the flooding challenges within the Aba na Ohazu area.