FG Awards Otuocha-Nzam—Innoma-Iheaka-Abaji Road

*Sen. Nwoye promises continuous funding, monitoring until project is completed

Chuks Okocha in Abuja 

After years of neglect, work is set to begin on the abandoned Otuocha-Nzam-Innoma-Iheaka-Abaji federal road linking Anambra with Kogi State many years after it was awarded. 

The Otuocha-Nzam-Inoma-Iheaka-Abaji road, a 300-kilometre road, was awarded on December 3, 2009 by the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to NigerCat Construction Limited. The company was able achieve first binder asphalting of 7km out of the 300km road before the project stopped. 

Also, due to the release of water from the dam in Cameroun in 2017, the entire area surrounding the project was flooded and the road was submerged. 

Senator Tony Nwoye, who represented Anambra East and Anambra West in the House of Representatives in the 8th National Assembly, had made passionate appeal for the road to be included in the national budget for reconstruction and rehabilitation. 

When he was in the House of Representatives, he wrote several letters to the Ministry of Works under Babatunde Fashola over the state of this road. 

Having been elected as a Senator representing Anambra North in the 10th National Assembly, he reactivated this demand for the reconstruction of the road.

Senator Nwoye paid several visits to Ministry of Works, accompanied with letters of “Special  Request for inclusion in 2023 supplementary budget and also award for redesigning and reconstruction and rehabilitation.

This was graciously  granted by both the Senate and Ministry of Works, hence in the 2023 supplementary budget and the federal government provided for funds for this important road.

He said, “Today, the efforts have paid off as President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Works,  Senator Dave Umahi, have come to the rescue of the people of Anambra North by re-awarding the road for the sum of N34 billion naira.” 

Nwoye who is highly elated on the award thanked  Umahi, President Tinubu and also Senator Akpabio-led 10th Senate for making the road a priority.

Senator Nwoye said the contractor will move to site immediately the water level drops and once funds are made available to them. He said  upon completion of the road, journey from Anambra to Abuja would be reduced by at least two to three hours, just as many communities along the road would be opened up. The reconstruction, he said, this time will not be like the last one.

Senator Nwoye assured that proper evaluation, monitoring and oversight will be carried out once the contractor moves to site, in order to ensure that quality work is done and also to ensure that there is value for money.