Stakeholders Urge Tinubu to Ignore Calls to Remove Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road from NNPCL Funding

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

Stakeholders of Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency have urged the federal government to ignore the requests by some highly placed persons to remove the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road from the funding basket of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The stakeholders including traditional rulers and political leaders made the call at a meeting held in Umuahia, during which the progress of work on the 51 kilometre Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road was extensively reviewed.
They were unanimous that there has been remarkable progress in the rehabilitation of the very strategic road since the NNPCL added it to the road projects it is funding under the road infrastructure tax credit(RITC) scheme.

While pleading with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow the road to remain under the funding of NNPCL, the stakeholders also lauded Mr. President for his interest in seeing to the completion of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road.

The host of the stakeholders’ meeting, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, who is a former member of the House of Representatives informed the gathering that the Federal Executive Council had on February 3, 2025 “again approved an augmentation of over N14.37 billion” on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road.
“One beautiful fact to note at this stage is that this approval came before the annual Appropriation Bill is assented to. This clearly shows the importance President Tinubu attaches to this important economic artery,” Onuigbo said.

The reconstruction of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road has lingered for nine years despite its strategic importance as it connects Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and even leads to Cameroon.
However, since the intervention of the NNPCL much of the road has been rehabilitated, including the most dreaded portion of the hitherto impassable road.

Onuigbo, whose efforts when he was the representative of Ikwuano/Umuahia between 2015 and 2023, got the federal government to start rehabilitation of the road, advised against moves to remove the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road from the funding basket of NNPCL.

“The proposal to return the project to the normal ministry funding will not only derail the attainments made so far but also lead to unpleasant consequences that could lead to more suffering by motorists and commuters.

“We cannot forget so soon the horrible state of the failed sections of this important road which made it impassable (in the past),” he noted.

Onuigbo, who is currently representing South-east on the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission(NEDC), has remained passionate in his struggles to see to the rehabilitation of the road.

He called on all the “serving political office holders and all stakeholders” from Abia to join hands and ensure full completion having made much progress under NNPCL funding.

The former federal lawmaker said that those scheming for the road to be returned to the Ministry of Works for funding, should rather “direct their energies towards ensuring that NNPCL doubles efforts in releasing more funds to enable the full realisation of the project.”

The NEDC board member had earlier stated that he had convened the meeting in order to exchange views with the stakeholders “in my usual effort” to keep them abreast of the activities of the APC-led federal government as it affects their area.

He noted that the Tinubu administration has been doing a lot “to address historical developmental challenges yearning for attention in Ikwuano/Umuahia North and Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Abia State and the South-east Zone”.

In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Professor Azubuike Onyebuchi, who chaired the meeting, thanked Onuigbo for keeping tabs on the projects he attracted as a federal lawmaker, even after he had left office.

He recalled that it was through the advocacy of the former federal lawmaker that the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road has continued to attract federal attention, adding that the funding by NNPCL should continue till the completion of the project.

“We appeal to the federal government to continue to prioritise that road (Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene),” Onyebuchi said, adding that all stakeholders irrespective of party affiliation should join hands with Onuigbo to ensure completion of the project.