An environmental rights group, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD has commended the Abia state governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu for the completion of construction work on select roads in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, and commissioning of same.
The roads according to FENRAD include, Osusu, Eziukwu, and other roads, even at Ogbor Hill Axis.
The group in a statement signed by the Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor further tasked the governor to pay more attention to the drainage facilities in the city and across the state.
While admitting that Aba is pivotal in the economy of the state and South East in general, FENRAD observed that roads leading in and out of the state must be in good shape for commercial activities to thrive unhindered.
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“Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD as acronymed, does sincerely congratulate His Excellency, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu Ph.D on his completion and recent commissioning of arterial roads – including Osusu, Eziukwu and other roads, even at Ogbor Hill axis – in Aba launched by His Excellency on Monday, January 11, 2021.
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“As an environmental rights group, FENRAD is aware of the economic nexus and boost such projects can accelerate in God’s own state. The group however is concernedly interested in seeing to it that, for environmental safety, roads and drainage systems in Aba and by extension Abia are fixed. Aba is, as FENRAD agrees with the governor, the economic hub for Abia and the entire Southeast. It bears repeating that roads therein and those leading thereto are sound – and this, FENRAD says without prejudice, should and must of necessity include both the federal roads.
“From the governor’s commissioning speech obtained by FENRAD, the pledge of era of Dubai Roads (shoddy roads, that is) being over and rigid pavement technology being the new thing; the pledge of fixing the Osisioma Flyover in four months; that of beginning work on Ngwa Road, Obohia and other crucial roads were all made. FENRAD wishes to remind the governor that four months as promised for the fixing of the flyover should not elapse before project completion if ever His Excellency wants to be taken seriously by God’s own people.
“A road like Ngwa Road is crucial given that it is the linking access to and from Ahiaohuru (New Market) and could if fixed, lift lives out of poverty. As an environmental rights group, FENRAD laments the present decay and condition of the road while expressing hope that the governor can still fix it” FENRAD says.
FENRAD also called on the governor to accelerate the constitution of roads in the state before rains set it this year.
“Again, FENRAD reminds the state governor that he has – aside committed to building quality roads in Aba and its environs – also pledged to fix infrastructure, it being that he “is not in court with anybody” as he himself has said earlier. FENRAD wants the governor to go one better in ensuring that road construction is begun in earnest before the rain comes this 2021. FENRAD also wishes to remind the governor that roads like Ohanku, Obohia are all lying fallow and impassable with residents paying a high rate for transportation and businesses there going under. Such plight has even worsened security challenges faced by residents as it is hard for police and other security agencies to access these areas and mitigate crime when occasion calls for such. Worst is, people living in these axes do not see themselves as part and parcel of Enyimba city. FENRAD also urges the governor to take seriously road projects in Aba as they are a sine qua non for any would-be exponential growth of Aba and Abia as targeted through the Enyimba Economic City plan. Roads will enhance communication and linkages in and to Abia especially as Nigeria awaits a multilateral economic boom having committed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The possiblity of Abia as a subnational economy dominating regional and continental markets could be greatly enhanced with good roads!
“Lastly, FENRAD draws the attention of His Excellency to the deteriorating state of Port Harcourt expressway and Ikot-Ekpene Road, both being the gateways to Aba and Umuahia – Abia too. Though federal roads and fall under the exclusive list, FENRAD urges the Abia State government under His Excellency to do its best in getting the necessary authorisation papers to do these roads as their long neglect has continued to widen both economic and demographic disparity statewide. The governor, FENRAD says, can do all these within the next two and half years remaining in his tenure. FENRAD however wishes His Excellency well and godspeed.
“FENRAD, once again, congratulates the governor on this feat, but wishes to remind him that for all that have been done, many more are still to be done.”
