A pan-Abia socio-political group, the Nzuko Ikwuano-na-Umuahia Citizens, (NIUC), has expressed concern on the claim by the Government of Abia state that it embark on palliative work and rehabilitation on some federal roads in the state as federal government is yet to refund Abia.
The NIUC also refuted claim by the state government that some Abia citizens at the federal government in Abuja, were sabotaging federal projects in the state.
The Abia group was reacting to statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Eze Chikamnayo wherein he claimed that the government was yet to receive compensation from works it carried on the Ikwuano-Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road by the Okezie Ikpeazu-led administration.
In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman, Kenneth Ekeleme and the Publicity Secretary, Chijindu Emeruwa and made available to newsmen at the end of its enlarged meeting held at Abia hotels in Umuahia, the state capital, the Nzuko Ikwuano-na-Umuahia Citizens, said that in as much as Governor Ikpeazu is unrelenting and trying his best in some areas of governance particularly, his efforts to having an Abia, as new destination for Small and Medium Business Enterprise (SME’s), the state government should thank some national assembly members from Abia for making the recent approval for construction work on the dilapidated Ikwuano-Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road by the federal Executive Council (FEC), applauding Hon Sam Onuigbo, the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South federal Constituency at the House of Representatives for demonstrating true representation and uncommon leadership that saw to the federal approval for the construction of the deplorable road.
The Igbo sociocutural umbrella, reiterated its position that the Abia government’s assertion to have carried out work on the road is far from the truth, insisting that most federal roads connecting within and outside the state are comatose, as the Ikwuano-Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road has become death trap to users.
The NIUC further wondered why spokesperson for the state government could descend too low with such unsubstantiated assertion on the federal road and reminded the government that her claim to have carried works on the federal road shows its being economical with truth, as every facets of the Ikwuano-Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road is in sorry condition, affecting the convergence of goods and services which most times, cause commercial trailers and car owners to tumble on the highways which leads to huge economic loss.
The Igbo organization also pointed out that the government of Abia state has no moral justification and no rationale to demand refund or compensation from the federal government on road projects the populace in the state never seen, regretted at the myriads of bad spots on the federal highways within the Abia axis.
According to the body,”If the state government had done work on the federal road as the Commissioner for Information, Eze Chikamnayo,want the whole world to know, why are there bad spots on the road? Why are our students are being sent to the grave as a result of fatal motor accidents on major federal highway? If the government had worked on the federal road, people would have seen the road Infrastructures on ground. Just take a tour round the federal roads in Abia, it has continued to wash away and decayed”.
The NIUC further opined that history will forever be kind to the Representative Sam Onuigbo, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, other members of federal Executive Council (FEC) that whom in one way or the other facilitates processes leading to the approval for reconstruction of the deplorable Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road, the Federal Emergency Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and few others in the national parliament for their genuine vigor, intervention, steadfastness and courage in addressing the yearnings of the people who on daily basis faced by difficulties and agony as result of the federal road.
On the accusation that Abia sons in the national level are truncating every efforts at siting federal Infrastructures in Abia state, the Nzuko Ikwuano-na-Umuahia Citizens, asked the state government to eschew from blame games, name-calling, and face the reality of governance, appealing to the current administration in the State, interests of the generality of Abia people, to integrate Abia into the “national schemes” to enable her attain full-fledged heights in all indices of governance mostly in the area of meaningful federal Infrastructures.
