From Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
Senator Julius Ucha has faulted the claim that the rehabilitation of the 41km Ozalla-Akpugo-Amagunze-Ihuokpara-Nkomoro Ebonyi federal road was attracted by Princess Peace Nnaji as constituency project when she was in the House of Representatives.
Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, had at the weekend flagged off the rehabilitation of the road, commending Princess Nnaji for attracting the project which was abandoned by Arab Contractors for lack of fund in 2010.
But Ucha told Daily Sun yesterday that Princess Nnaji, who represented Nkanu East and West Enugu Federal Constituency then in the House of Representatives, was not the one who attracted the project, pointing out that the impression, was wrong.
He said that he had attracted the road project in 2009 when he was the chairman, Senate Committee on Works through the help of the deputy senate president.
Ucha said that the first budgetary provision of N2.25 billion was made in 2009 for the road project and awarded to Arab Contractors.
He said that Arab Contractors accessed only N900 million out of the total contract sum and did substantial work on the road but later demobilized from site as there was no other provision for the road in the budget.
He disclosed that what happened then was that Princess Nnaji approached him as chairman on works to allow her take part of the credit of the road since she was contesting an election to return to the House of Representatives, saying that the project could not in any way have been her constituency project.
Ucha, therefore, commended Ekweremadu for helping to bring the Arab Contractors back to the road, which he said links the two sister states of Ebonyi and Enugu states.
He also thanked the federal government for making new budgetary provision to rehabilitate the road, which he said is very important as it links most communities in Ebonyi and Enugu states.
At the new flag off of the project, Senator Ekweremadu applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for making funds available for the renewed rehabilitation of road.
He said that the road has now been awarded as a full project under the Federal Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing.
“I would, therefore, like to express our special gratitude to the federal government for making funds available to continue this project and also call on them to step up efforts on roads in the South East,” Ekweremadu said.
The Managing Director of Arab Contractors, the firm handling the project, Engr. Mohammed El-Eldaros, assured of the timely delivery of the project while calling for the co-operation of the benefiting communities.