*As flood sack residents at Ibere road, others blame Ikpeazu for undertaking too many projects.
Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has said that he will abandon ongoing road projects in the state due to the advent of the rainy season.
Ikpeazu who made this know during a media briefing in Umuahia, noted Abia lies within the rainfall belt of Nigeria, making it impossible to construct road during rainy season.
According to him,” You that Abia state lies within the belt of heavy rainfall which is one of the biggest in the federation. I don’t think we have more than 4 weeks with which to tidy up whatever we are doing I terms of road rehabilitation. We may continue with drainages and focus attention on other sectors.”
The governor stated that he embarked on the construction of 65 roads across the state, out of which 27 had been completed with street lights and drainages.
It will be recalled that criticisms has trailed the massive rehabilitation of roads, especially in Aba, where the governor awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of over 20 roads , with some of them appearing to have been abandoned.
Such abandoned road projects include Ibere Street, Ozuomba, Old Express, amongst others while work had gone on for over 6 months at Aba Owerri road drainage, Ururuka, Emelogu, Ngwa and Ehere, without being completed.
The drainage channels now pose great risk to residents and commuters as they fall into the ditch, especially during rainfall. Roads completed include Omni, Ukaegbu, Umuola, Kamalu, Owerri while St. Michaels, Hospital, Park, Pound roads, among others were resurfaced.
A resident of Ngwa road, Chukwuka Eme, commended the governor’s efforts but blamed him for undertaking too many road projects at the same time in view of the harsh economic situation in the country. Another resident who is a bus driver identified as Emmanuel explained that the governor got it wrong in his choice of road projects in Aba.
According to him, Gov. Ikpeazu got it wrong in the choice of roads he chose to rehabilitate. The problem of roads in Aba is more pronounced in areas like Omuma , Obohia, Ohanku,Osusu, Ariaria, Port Harcourt and Uratta roads. The governor should have started rehabilitation works with these areas instead of the resurfacing of the few roads which were fairly passable. What should have been done was to fill the potholes in the areas, but concentrate more action on the already impassable roads.
247ureports.com gathered hat residents of the ‘Amammong’ area spanning Ngwa, Obohia, Ibere, Ohanku leding to the residence of the former minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu are not happy over the governor’s neglect of the area. During the rainy season, the Amammong area could best be likened to River Niger as flood water wreak havoc.
When our correspondent visited the Ibere road which was recently flagged off by the governor after his supreme court, but now abandoned, it was discovered that flood has sacked residents from their homes, with some of them cursing the state government for demolishing structures in the area when it knew that it had no fund to rehabilitate the road.
Over 25 building were demolished at Ibere road, now the residents are lamenting that the buildings should have been left until government was ready to commence rehabilitation works.
A source told 247ureports.com that some landlords in the area had on noticing the disappearance of road construction equipment deployed to the area, sought audience with Ikpeazu on the development, but the governor was said to have promised that work will commence as soon as funds are made available.
