Ex-Abia PDP Chairman Lauds Otti for Prioritising Rural Roads

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The priority attention that Governor Alex Otti has given to the infrastructural development of the rural communities in Abia State has elicited accolades across party lines.

Reacting to Otti’s policy thrust, a former Chairman of Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Emma Nwaka, commended the governor for placing rural development on the front burner.

“We are grateful to the governor for this developmental project,” he said in reference to the Nunya-Eluama road which Otti has kicked off its reconstruction in earnest.

Otti had commenced the ongoing infrastructural transformation of the state in Aba and Umuahia but he has brought the rural communities into the mix to achieve “balanced development” of the entire Abia.

Over the past three weeks the governor has flagged off the reconstruction of no fewer than three critical road networks across the local governments.

The most recent was the 11.5km Nunya-Ogboro-Eluama road in Isuikwuato Local Government which was flagged off on Tuesday, March 26 to the delight of the communities connected by the road.

Nwaka, who piloted the affairs of the former ruling Abia PDP during its most glorious period, told our correspondent that every Abian, irrespective of party affiliation, should acknowledge the good job that Otti was doing.

He noted that the new governor has not only rehabilitated several roads within nine months of assuming office but engaged reputable contractors to give Abia people quality for their money.

On how he received the that Otti has mobilised CCECC to begin the reconstruction of Nunya-Eluama road, Nwaka said that he couldn’t thank the governor enough for this singular gesture.

“One thing for sure is that every Isuikwuato person is delighted that Nnunya/Ogboro road is one of the roads in Abia State that has received early attention in the first tenure of Governor Alex Otti,” he said.

“This road is very important to our people, not just because it offers us easy access to Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway but also for the fact that it will enable our farmers to evacuate their farm produce for sale in Umuahia and neighbouring states,” he added.

Otti had explained his early attention to the rural areas, saying that his economic policy “is structured to achieve balanced development” of Abia so that no part of the state would be left behind.

He stated that it was necessary to enhance rural infrastructure given that some businesses are specially meant to be sited in the rural communities while some are best suited for the urban areas.

Otti said for his government, “every part of Abia is important in the new Abia,” he is building, adding that with good infrastructure in the rural areas, farmers would have easy access to the cities to market their produce.