Onuigbo Recounts 9-Year Journey Of Advocacy on Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road

Rt. Hon. Sam Onuigbo has traced the long journey leading to the reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene Federal Road, describing it as a product of “persistence, faith, and partnership.”

Speaking during a press conference in Abuja, Onuigbo recounted that his advocacy began on May 26, 2016, when he moved a motion on the floor of the House of Representatives on the deplorable condition of the road.

Following the motion, he paid a visit to the then Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, which prompted immediate palliative work by FERMA. Reconstruction was officially flagged off on December 16, 2016, in collaboration with Senator T.A. Orji.

In 2019, the Federal Government awarded the contract to Hartland Nigeria Ltd and Raycon & Co. Nigeria Ltd. However, the project faced funding challenges due to the recession and COVID-19.

To overcome these obstacles, Onuigbo wrote to the Ministry of Works in September 2021, requesting its inclusion in the NNPCL Road Tax Credit Scheme, which was later approved by the Federal Government through an Executive Order.

He described President Tinubu’s latest directive to hand over the project to the Abia Government as the crowning moment of years of advocacy, saying, “The same road once described as a death trap now stands as a testament to resilience and responsive governance.”