Umahi Seeks Synergy with States to Tackle Accumulated Road Infrastructure Deficit
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The Minister of Works, David Umahi , at the weekend stated that governments at all levels needed to synchronise strategic action plans to tackle the inherited accumulation of road infrastructure challenges in Nigeria.
The minister made the remark when he visited some federal government’s ongoing road projects along the Aba axis of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway handled by Arab Contractors Nigeria Ltd.
Umahi, who was received by the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, commended the collaboration between the Abia State government and the federal government of Nigeria, which had resulted in the major road infrastructure facelift in the state.
The minister praised the decision of the governor to prioritise road infrastructure development among his strategic development programmes, which he said was pivotal to the enhancement of commercial activities.
According to him, it will also serve as a catalyst for local economic growth as well as a precursor for self actualisation by the enterprising people of Abia State, a statement from his spokesman, Uchenna Orji, said.
He also commended the governor for his sense of purpose and power of supervision, which he said had made a difference in the infrastructure development history of his state.
He said he was gratified that prioritisation of the development of critical infrastructure by the governor had attracted the admiration and praise of the people of the state.
He said: “He (Otti) has through the help of the president, got a lot of improvement in the road of infrastructure of the State, especially Port Harcourt to Enugu Road. He is always on that road, supervising and inviting me. And so we have gone around some of his projects. And I can assure you, as an engineer, that this man is God-sent.
“With the volume of work he is doing, with the quality of work he is doing, I can say it’s only God that brought him at a time like this. I say to him, if you had this in the past 12 years, Abia would not have been the same. But you know, the Bible says at the time of God, he makes all things beautiful.”
The federal road projects visited by the minister of works included: The rehabilitation of Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway Section III: Enugu – Lokpanta, Enugu state and the rehabilitation & reconstruction of Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway, Section II.
Also toured were the Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/Road Crossing in Abia State. At the CCECC section of the project, the minister directed that the section between the railway crossing and the Alaoji be modified.
He listed the modification as four carriageways (just like Arab section), instead of two as well as a roundabout to be constructed at the intersection between Port-Harcourt Rd in Aba and Enugu-PH Expressway.
Speaking during the event, Otti lauded President Bola Tinubu for the progress of work at the ongoing rehabilitation of the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, which has reached tremendous milestone delivery since the coming on board of the new administration.
He described the efforts of the minister in supervising the work progress as a motivation driven by passion and determination to revolutionise road infrastructure development for the actualisation of the president’s vision of realising national economic growth and sustainable prosperity.
