Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has recalled Tunnelend Construction Company to go and undertake a full reconstruction of the Unuaro/Ekwereazu Road in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.
The road which was completed in December 2018, failed before June 2019. The construction firm, Tunnelend is owned by Enyinnaya Nwafor, son of late deputy governor of the state, Dr. Chima Nwafor.
Speaking on a live radio programme in Aba, Governor Ikpeazu, said the poor work on the Ekwereazu Road did not meet the standard of roads done by his administration.
“Yes, I have received calls and complains about the poor construction on the road. I have ordered the contractor to return to site and ensure a complete reconstruction of the road. Ministry of Works will monitor what they are doing to ensure that the standard in terms of the roads that our administration is known for, is maintained.
“I am not happy about the poor job done by the contractor. There is no way we will accept that a road done by this administration failed less then one year after construction. Unfortunately, we have not commissioned the road, so they must reconstruct the road,” Ikpeazu said.
The governor reiterated that his philosophy of road construction is that it is better to build few but durable roads than multiple roads that fail before they are commissioned.
Insisting why the Ekwereazu Road must be reconstructed, he said: ” I don’t believe in palliatives; it’s either I do it and do it well or leave it. I want Abia to remember me as a man who did not do all the roads, but who the few ones he did have refused to fail.”
There has been public outcry over the poor construction on the road which was constructed in 2018, and failed before June 2019.
Governor Ikpeazu has also promised to complete ongoing projects awarded in the first term of his administration in his second term.