The Editor
The Anambra State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Okey Ezeobi, has attributed Federal Government’s huge investments in infrastructure in the state and across the South-East to the alliance between the governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and President Bola Tinubu.
Ezeobi said Soludo’s relationship with the Tinubu-led administration has attracted unprecedented level of major federal projects worth billions of naira to the state, citing the Ezunaka Bypass Bridge linking the Second Niger Bridge to the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, estimated to cost about ₦180 billion.
He made the remarks during a press briefing held at his office in Awka on Wednesday, where he debunks social media content making the rounds that some roads constructed by the state were below standard, describing the contents as “politically motivated”.
The commissioner also discussed several road construction projects carried out by the state, insisting that the roads constructed under the Soludo-led administration had surpassed that of three previous past governors.
He added that Tinubu has approved the construction of two flyovers at the Regina Caeli Junction and at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, both along the Onitsha-Awka-Enugu Expressway, arguing that Tinubu’s administration had done for the South-East what previous successive governments had failed to accomplish.
He said, “Anambra and the entire South-East have witnessed an unprecedented level of infrastructural investment from the Federal Government. All these things are because of the alliance between Governor Soludo and President Tinubu.
“Some people may not like the politics of Soludo, but I want to tell you that no one loves Anambra more than the governor and that is what the governor thinks about everyday.
“The governor knows what he is doing and Anambra people are gaining from that partnership. The level of Federal Government presence in Anambra is unprecedented.
“Since the creation of Nigeria, we have never experienced this level of infrastructure and this is because of the synergy we have in the state now through Mr Governor and the Federal Government.
“Today you can drive on concrete road from 82 division in Enugu straight into Anambra. This is something that was not possible previously. That is the level of investment we have witnessed.
“There is now a bypass from Nkwelle Ezunaka to the second Niger Bridge through Ogbunike, Ogidi and Obosi. The construction in the Anambra end is costing the federal government N180billion. We have never had it this good.
“The Anambra West, Abaji is another game changer that the president is giving us, which will shorten travel to five hours from Awka to Anambra. That means you can travel to Abuja from Anambra and return the same day.
“The president has just approved a flyover at Regina Caeli. The governor went to him and told him about the numerous accidents there and he approved two flyovers. One at UNIZIK Second Gate and one at Regina Caeli.”
He added that the projects followed Soludo’s interventions to the President over the need to address road safety concerns and improve traffic movement in the region.
On concerns over the quality of roads constructed by the Soludo administration, Ezeobi maintained that most of the projects met the required standards, attributing isolated cases of road failure to construction errors and other factors.
He disclosed that the state government had awarded contracts for 908.044 kilometres of roads, with 742 kilometres already asphalted.
According to him, the administration had awarded 143 road contracts, adding that the ministry would publish detailed statistics of its road construction activities.
“Today, we have awarded 908.044 kilometers of roads and have so far asphalted 742km. All the last three governors put together have not achieved this. We have given out 143 road contracts in Anambra. Very soon we will put out the statistics of road construction out there.
“This is ministry of works and we have all the documents and there are public documents. We will do this so that people will see what this govt has done in road infrastructure.
“Once in a while, we see people talking about failed road, but all the failed spots put together is not up to 5 Km. What it means is that over 99percent is perfect. So that is pass mark.”
The commissioner attributed reported road failures in some locations to factors including indiscriminate refuse dumping, blocked drainage channels, breakdowns of heavy-duty vehicles, poor water channelling from residential buildings and inadequate green spaces.
“The dualisation of Oba to Okigwe, as well as Otuocha to Abaji is underway. That would be a game changer. If completed, it will take about 5-6 hours.
“What this simply means is that you can go to Abuja from Awka and return same day. The rehabilitation of first Niger bridge, I was reliably informed that the federal government had not attended to any project the same way it did to the project – day and night.
“All these are coming up as a result of synergy with Anambra. We’ve never had this level of infrastructure investment like this before under Tinubu even when we didn’t vote for him.
“I want to tell ndi-Anambra and the general public that the social media content circulation that all the roads constructed by this present administration are bad, are politically motivated and should be ignored.
“They are not true representation of the situation on ground. The state government awarded road contracts to competent contractors,” he added.
