Umahi Seeks Synergy with States to Tackle Accumulated Road Infrastructure Deficit

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Works, David Umahi , at the weekend stated that  governments at all levels needed to synchronise strategic action plans to tackle  the  inherited  accumulation of road infrastructure challenges in Nigeria.
The minister made the remark when he visited some federal government’s  ongoing  road projects along the Aba axis of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway handled  by Arab Contractors Nigeria Ltd.

Umahi,  who was received by the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, commended  the collaboration between the  Abia State government and  the federal government of Nigeria, which had resulted  in the major road infrastructure facelift in the state.
The minister praised  the decision of the governor to prioritise road infrastructure development among his strategic development programmes, which he said was pivotal to the enhancement of commercial activities.

According to him, it will also serve as a catalyst for local economic growth as well as a precursor for self actualisation  by the enterprising people of Abia State, a statement from his spokesman, Uchenna Orji, said.
He also commended  the governor for his sense of purpose and power of supervision, which he said had made a difference in the infrastructure  development history of his state.

He said he  was gratified  that  prioritisation  of the development  of critical infrastructure  by the governor had attracted the admiration  and  praise of the people of the state.
He said: “He (Otti) has through the help of the president, got a lot of improvement in the road of infrastructure of the State, especially Port Harcourt to Enugu Road. He is always on that road, supervising and inviting me. And so we have gone around some of his projects. And I can assure you, as an engineer, that this man is God-sent.

“With the volume of work he is doing, with the quality of work he is doing, I can say it’s only God that brought him at a time like this. I say to him, if you had this in the past 12 years, Abia would not have been the same. But you know, the Bible says at the time of God, he makes all things beautiful.”
The federal  road projects  visited  by the minister of works included: The rehabilitation of Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway Section III: Enugu – Lokpanta, Enugu state and the rehabilitation & reconstruction of Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway, Section II.

Also toured were the Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/Road Crossing in Abia State. At  the CCECC section of the project, the minister directed that the section between the railway crossing and the Alaoji be modified.

He listed the modification as four carriageways (just like Arab section), instead of two as well as a roundabout to be constructed at the intersection between Port-Harcourt Rd in Aba and  Enugu-PH Expressway.

 Speaking  during  the event, Otti lauded President Bola Tinubu for the progress  of work at the ongoing  rehabilitation of the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, which has reached tremendous milestone delivery since the coming  on board of the new administration.

He described  the efforts of the minister in supervising  the work progress as a motivation  driven  by passion and determination  to revolutionise road infrastructure development for the actualisation of the president’s vision of realising national economic  growth  and sustainable prosperity.