By Henry Umahi

Going from Owerri, the capital of Imo State, to Orlu, one of the urban centres in the state, you see taxpayers’ money at work. A huge reconstruction work was going on when the reporter visited the state last week. The road is about 36 kilometres long.

Although the reconstruction work has not been completed, a reasonable stretch of the road is wearing a new look, making driving less stressful.

Before the advent of the Gov. Hope Uzodimma administration, that critical road was wretched and forsaken. Lamentation was the portion of the hapless and hopeless road users, as craters doted the long stretch. Worse still, erosion had swallowed some portions of the road. Travelling on that road was a risky venture. It was dangerous to man and machine. Many lives were lost on that road. However, the narrative has changed. It’s a new dawn and the excitement is palpable. 

Residents and visitors are not hiding their happiness over the turn of events. From weeping in the valley of tears, they are now singing on the mountain of joy.

Mr. David Okeke, an Owerri resident, said: “If you did not pass this road when it was in a decrepit state, you won’t understand what we went through for years. It was pure torture going to Orlu from Owerri. The road was terrible, to say the least. What we have now is like our world turning from black and white to technicolour. With the speed with which the contractors are going, we are hoping that the work will be completed before the rains come. You know, with Hope, there is hope.”

To be sure, it is not only the Owerri-Orlu Road that has received attention from the Uzodimma government. The Nekede/Polytechnic Road, which was like a mini-river, has been reconstructed. Hitherto, it was impassable. Not even an SUV could flex muscles on that road. According to the Commissioner of Information, Chief Declan Emelumba, “in fact, the best way to describe it is that most of the people who crossed it used boats, because you could not drive through. It was not really motorable. Looking at it today, you will never know that it was very bad. It is very important to know that this very important road was neglected for a long time, until this administration reconstructed it. This road ends at Emmanuel College, from where you enter into town. The road was fixed by this administration even though it is a federal road because it won’t make sense to fix the Nekede road and people can’t even enter the town, it was very bad. So, this beautiful dualisation was done by the state government. The solar-powered streetlight is a sample to remind you that we no longer have roundabouts in Imo; we now have improved junctions. It is the same at Fire Service Junction, Cherubim Junction, Government House Junction and Warehouse Junction, among others. They are all solar-powered. All of them have not been completed but, at the end, that’s what everywhere will look like. It makes for free flow of traffic.”

Indeed, it could be said that one of the high points of the Uzodimma administration is the construction and rehabilitation of roads all over the state. From the state capital to the rural areas across the three senatorial districts, smooth roads greet you. While roads in poor condition or abandoned ones are rehabilitated where necessary, new ones are also being constructed.

Putting the matter into perspective, Uzodimma said, on assumption of office, he rolled up his sleeves and started addressing the dilapidated road infrastructure. 

He disclosed that no fewer than 90 are either under construction, completed or about to be completed. The roads cut across the urban and rural areas and the three senatorial zones of the state. Of the 99 roads, 32 have been fully completed and inaugurated. 

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He said: “You will recall that President Muhammadu Buhari was physically present for the commissioning of the critical roads, including the flood-control mechanism at Chukwuma Nwoha Road, otherwise known as balloon-driven tunnel. Landlords, whose houses had been abandoned prior to the building of the tunnel and subsequent recovery of the road, are grateful to this government for this development.

“The on-going construction of Owerri-Orlu and Okigwe-Owerri dual carriageways, when completed, will serve as a great stimulant to the economy of the state. Besides, it will prove once again that Imo State can build good quality roads that can outlive many administrations, just as the ones built by our beloved Dee Sam Mbakwe. The completion of these roads will no doubt boost socio-economic activities in Imo State. The overall objective in this massive road construction and reconstruction is to strengthen the state’s economy by boosting commerce, industry and tourism.

“In addition to that, we have initiated a solid urban renewal programme that has given Owerri, the state capital, a facelift. The remodelling of the roundabouts at Warehouse, Government House by Wetheral Road, Fire Service by Mbaise Road and other places in the capital have beautified Owerri and also eased the movement of traffic. More re-modelling is on-going in almost all the roundabouts in the state capital. Also, we have kept our promise to return to massive road construction once the rains are over. To this end, road construction has re-commenced on World Bank to Umuguma roads and Emmanuel College to   Umezurike Hospital Junction, the MCC to Toronto Junction has also been redesigned and construction will start this month on this and many other roads.”

The governor added that the planting of ornamental trees around the capital city was meant to bring back Owerri’s premier position as the city to beat in Nigeria, in terms of neatness and ambience.

According to the governor, the inaugurated road projects include Oparanozie Street, Amaigbo Street, Edede Street, ring roads in Aladinma Housing Estate, Lake Nwaebere Street, Olokoro Street, Umuahia Street, Okeikpe Street, Arugo Street, Egbema Street, Ngwa Street, Douglas Road, ring roads behind Concorde Hotel, J.P. Ajaelu Street, Thomas Moore Street, Gozie Nwachukwu Street, Archdeacon Dennis Road, Aladinma, Assumpta/Ibari Ogwa/Port Harcourt Road, Federal Secretariat Road (now Muhammadu Buhari Drive), Dick Tiger Road, Dick Tiger Street, Akachi Road (now Evan Enwerem Way), Relief Market Road, Imo University Teaching Hospital Road, Orlu (awaiting commissioning), construction/rehabilitation of Egbeada bypass, maintenance of failed section on Owerri-Mbaise-Obowo Road (waiting for approval from Federal Ministry of Works to start total rehabilitation of the road), Chukwuma Nwoha Road, Naze-Nekede-Ihiagwa-Obinze road (first phase launched), Okigwe Roundabout-St. Mary’s Church, Okigwe (Okpala Road, awaiting inauguration), Stadium Road, Okigwe (awaiting inauguration), Junction improvement works at IMSU roundabout (completed), junction improvement works at Warehouse Roundabout (completed), junction improvement works at Fire Service (completed) and junction improvement works at Naze Roundabout (completed).

Uzodimma further said that 50 roads were under construction/rehabilitation, including Ahiara Junction-Okpala Junction, 22.7km; Aba Branch-Ahiara Junction, 10.6km; Nkume-Umuowa-Orlu Road, 6.9 km; Mgbidi-Oguta (Oguta Lake) Road, 11.7km; Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH) Road, 2.05km; Naze (Poly Junction), Nekede-Ihiagwa-Obinze Road, 17.1km dual carriageway; Concorde Road-Jacob Zuma Road, with spur to Port Harcourt Road, 6.8 km 3.4km (dual); University Road Bishop’s Court Road, 2km (991.5m dual); Okigwe Roundabout-St. Mary’s Church, Okigwe (Okpala Road), 5km (2.5 km dual carriage; Ogwohoroanya-Avutu-Umunachi (Roundabout) Road, 7.85km; Douglas-Naze Junction, 10.2km (5.1km); Control Post (Assumpta) Ibari Ogwa (Port Harcourt) Road, 3.6km; Umuguma Junction (World Bank) Road, 7.78km; Owerri-Nwaorieubi-Njaba-Orlu Road (32 km); Owerri-Amaraku-Anara-Onuimo-Umunna-Okigwe Road, 51km; Achingali-Onicha-Udo Na Obizi Road, 14km; Warehouse Junction-Umezuruike Hospital-Emmanuel College Roundabout with Edede/Royce Road Junction and Emmanuel College Layout slip roads, 7.2km; Old Nekede Road-Zoo-Ihiagwa, 7.5km; and Onistha-Orlu Road (Egbeada bypass), among others.

The Uzodimma administration is not all road revolution. There are other soul-lifting projects like the remodelling and rebranding of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, to make it a cutting-edge institution. The state government also built a new polytechnic at Umuna.

The administration has repackaged the IMSUTH, providing state-of-the-art equipment.

Emelumba volunteered that the successful execution of projects was because government did needs assessment on coming to power. So, it knows the needs of the people and responds accordingly.