The Minister of Works David Umuahi has commended Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, for improved development in the state in just a few months that he has been in office.
Even though he is not an advocate of the 100-day celebration, Umahi, who was in Abia on Thursday to check ongoing federal projects in the state, claimed that the South-East and the citizens of Abia are fortunate to have Governor Otti since his work is already evident.
“Let me thank you for a lot of improvement that you have done in the state just few months now. I don’t believe in 100 days in office, I don’t believe in two years in office, I believe in working for the people and let the people see what you are doing.
“There is nothing meaningful that anybody who intends to work can achieve in 100 days. You may not even design a meaningful project in 100 days. But we have been seeing what you’ve been doing because you’ve been around, you understand the pains of your people.
“And so I commend you and also congratulate Abia people because they are going to see quite progress,” Umahi said during a courtesy visit to Governor Otti, while assuring that Otti will make Abia and the South-East proud.
The Minister, who once served as the governor of Ebonyi State, informed Otti that there are currently 11 federal road projects taking place in Abia.
He mentioned other routes, including Section One of the Port Harcourt-Enugu Express Road, which connects Lokpanta with Abia Tower in Umuahia and is completely finished with a trailer park, and Section Two of the road, which connects Aba with Umuahia Tower.
In order to resolve the problems preventing the construction of a trailer park in Arungwa Aba, he asked Governor Otti for assistance. He claimed that the state government should buy the property and work with the federal government and the private sector to develop it.
Governor Otti praised the Minister for coming to Abia and said that his government was ready to work with the federal government to repair the state’s federal roads.
He lamented the agony that individuals must endure to go from Port Harcourt to Aba and the other way around, claiming that a trip that used to take only 30 minutes is now taking at least three hours.
The Governor claims that the Aba markets have suffered a fatal blow as a result. He told the Minister that he had already hired the construction firm CCECC to repair the road and reopen one of the lanes.
The Governor informed the works minister that he would also like to discuss with him the Federal Road from Umuahia to Bene, Abriba, and Ohafia, all the way to Arochukwu, which was originally awarded by the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) when former President Muhammadu Buhari served as PTF Chairman, under General Sani Abacha, but later abandoned, and later re-awarded in 2011 by former president Goodluck Jonathan, who also abandoned it.
“If I’m able to find money, I will like to do the road and whenever he is able to, he will reimburse us. We believe that we should support the Federal Government in delivering dividends of democracy to our people,” Governor Otti remarked.
Umahi was joined in the visit by Senator Onyekachi Nweobonyi, Deputy Chairman Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Engr. B. U. Obioha, South-East Director Federal Highway, among others.
