From Okey Sampson, Aba
Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has said his administration would do everything possible to put the state on sound footing to allow businesses thrive and make lives meaningful to the people.
Ikpeazu, who stated this in Aba while inspecting 12 roads under construction in Aba and Umuahia, said his government was taking advantage of the dry season to step up roads reconstruction.
“It is now imperative that we monitor the contractors working on these roads to make sure they achieve the milestone we desire, so, we can put enough to stock for the dry season. Construction in this part of Nigeria requires that you must be careful about how you plan your site, so that you don’t lose the mileage you have achieved when the rains come, because the rains will come certainly. This is the time for us to tie up our ends. We have just done about one quarter of what we have at hand to do. There are projects in Umuahia, others in Abia North; we want our contractors at their best, to do what they are supposed to do.”
Governor Ikpeazu specifically commended the contractor handling Brass/Faulks Roads which lead to Ariaria Internal Market, Setraco, for doing a wonderful job, stressing that when the two roads are completed, the market would be open to the entire world.
“I’m impressed, Setraco is doing well, they are working according to specifications. Our vision to do world class road to lead into Ariaria to Aba-Port Harcourt expressway is beginning to yield fruit. Brass is looking like what it is supposed to be, the major access to Ariaria. I think I’m excited and I just hope and pray that they will continue in that trajectory.”
At the Ndiegoro axis of Aba, popularly known as Amamong where the government is reconstructing five roads which include, Ibadan, Ibere, Onyebuchi and Agharandu Ikpeazu said, “One day, I decided to pay unscheduled visit to the area and what I saw, brought tears to my eyes and we decided to do five roads. We are going into another four roads and these roads will be done with cement pavement technology and street light. And you can see that there are lots of industrial activities going on in that area. For us, we want to start by apologising to the people that previous administrations were not able to do it.”
On the vexed issue of Port Harcourt road which is a Federal Government road, Ikpeazu said what had delayed its reconstruction was a loan facility the state government had been expecting from the African Development Bank. He said since the loan facility had been delayed, government would not continue to allow people living and doing business in the area whom he said are mainly machine tools fabricators to continue to suffer.
He was of the view that if the road was put to proper shape, the people doing business in the area would support the state government’s battle for the growth of SMEs in Abia.
The governor who also visited Ifeobara basin where the state government is constructing an artificial pond for storm water collection said when completed, the basin would collect flood water from Uratta and Omuma roads and environs and pump them straight to the Aba River.
Ikpeazu said the state government would reintroduce health sanitation officers who would be going from house to house to ensure the cleanliness of all parts of the state.
On the demolitions carried out by government around the Ife Obara basin, the governor said those affected would be entitled to compensation if they have title documents.
Ikpeazu also inspected the reconstruction of Aba Road, Umuahia under taking by his administration.