GOVERNOR. UMAHI GAINT STRIDES ON ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN EBONYI

By Philip Nweze


While many might not have noticed it, Ebonyi has become one giant construction yard. And it's all thanks to the governor, Chief David Umahi, who seems to have made infrastructural development of the state a passion similar to how an altar boy internalises the Catholic creed. While there are numerous projects being constructed on a daily basis, the focus seems to have been on construction of new roads and extension of existing ones to make movement easy for residents of the state.

From  Abakaliki to Afikpo, from Ezzamgbo to Effium, from Hilltop to Agbaja-Nwofe,  the name of the game seems to be construction and more construction. While it is expected of government at different levels to make life easier for the people, the fact that some of the roads being constructed by the Umahi-led government in Ebonyi state are federal roads perhaps deserves commendation. And residents of areas where these constructions are completed and ongoing, will have a sigh of relief. Standing out amongst these roads is the Abakaliki-Afikpo road for obvious reasons.

If there was any road in the state that had portrayed successive governments in bad lights as failed governments in the last two decades, it was the Abakaliki/Afikpo road. Before now traveling through this road was like traveling through the valley and shadows of death. You'd be forced to dance along with your vehicle to no rhythm for close to three hours in a journey which ought to last for thirty minutes. The road was so bad that the vehicles using it invariably returned to a mechanics workshop at the end of every journey. It was impossible to plan a visit to Abakaliki, through the Abakaliki/Afikpo road and predict arrival time. A 30 minutes journey can easily become a three-hour ordeal. Abakaliki was at the verge of winning the trophy for being the state with the most dangerous roads as a result of that section of road and many others.

All the arteries of the road were riddled with dangerous portholes. Quite often, one preventive manoeuvre often leads the driver into yet another porthole. Trailers and tankers were quite vulnerable. Nigerian trailers often do not secure the containers they carry, relying on their weight for stability. As a result of combination of circumstances, the roads were often littered with overturned trailers,  tankers and containers that often led to marathon hold-ups. It was common for thieves, rapists and other miscreants to station themselves in bad portions of the roads where all vehicles virtually come to a halt, especially at night..

A few years back, contracts were awarded for the construction of the road by the federal ministry of works to two companies. While the China Civil Engineering Conctruction Company (CCECC) was awarded the portion from Afikpo/Abaomege to Onueke, an indigenous company, UNIGLOBE, was awarded a section from Abakaliki to Onueke. Curiously and disappointingly, the middle section from Abaomege in Onicha local government area to Onueke in Ezza South local government area of the state was abandoned by the FG. The section which spans over fourteen kilometers became a death trap to road users and remained so for many years. But like they say, every evil has a termination date.

Despite being a federal road, the present governor was moved to commence work on the road in spite of its lean resources since that was a major link road in the southern part of the state. In the government's estimation, the road had gone out of what any decent society should refer as road. It was rather a human jungle. For almost 85 percent of the stretch of the road, one would be operating on pot-hole ridden earth road. For one to make it through the road, one must visit the mechanic and ensure all the ball joints are properly fixed, and once in a while at subsequent junctions, the driver must visit the mechanic once more to re-fix what was originally fixed before embarking on the trip. Aside from this, it takes almost double the volume of premium motor spirit (fuel) to make the journey.

Today the story is different. Those who visited Abakaliki before Governor. David Umahi came on board will be surprised at the changes on the road when they visit again. In fact, if smooth rides and long drives are your cup of tea, then Abakaliki-Afikpo road will interest you. Any one that plies the road is in for a wonderful experience.The state government has equally intervened in a number of federal roads in the area of maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of new ones. The state government has injected over 35 billion naira in the construction  of federal roads across the state including, Abakaliki-Afikpo, Amasiri-Okposi-Uburu, Nkalagu-Eha-Amufu roads, etc.  His target is to provide the people with unwrinkled, creamy roads that provide you with a luxury car experience.

Before now, the state of Abakaliki roads generally, was terrible. To start with, it was not a tea party entering Abakaliki from any point, as all roads linking it were in terrible condition. There was no week you don't fix something in your car when you are in Abakaliki. In fact, the cost of fixing your car exceeded cost of fuelling it. In rainy seasons it looked as if the city was floating. Ensuing floods take over the streets and escape into homes and business premises. Streets turn into river. Venturing out with your own car was scary. Abakaliki before now, was a city that couldn't boast of one good and motorable street road. It was a glorified village in most eastern states. Today, not only are new roads built by the governor but his standard is that every road would be built with drainage, side-walks and street lights.

Governor Umahi conceivably wants the people to see him as a governor whom his work will speak for without them knowing that he exists.