Gov. Alex Otti of Abia on Tuesday commissioned the 11.5-kilometer Nunya-Eluama Road project for rehabilitation.
Speaking during the ceremony in Nunya, Isiukwuato Local Government Area, Otti said that the project was part of the Abia government’s strategy to open up rural communities to boost development.
The governor said that the road would connect Nunya and Eluama Autonomous Communities to other communities as well as transform the fortunes of the communities in the area.
Otti said: “The Nunya -Eluama Road will on completion provide additional layer of support to farmers within this axis to move their produce to multiple urban locations within Abia and beyond.”
He said that the government was making conscious efforts to ensure that balanced socioeconomic development would be achieved in Abia.
“Our plan is to steadily invest in public infrastructure for the purpose of making the communities economically viable and attractive to investors,”he said.
According to him, the government would not relent in remaining focused and resilient on delivering the dividend of democracy to the people of Abia.
He charged the people of Abia to make a definite resolution to pay taxes and other statutory fees as and when due.
“This is very important because our projects are mostly capital intensive and not much will be achieved unless we pay the contractors to keep the heavy equipments and machines running.
“My promise is that every penny coming from you are for you will be judiciously managed,” Otti said.
In his speech, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Otumchere Oti, said that the road had been in a deplorable condition for a long time as successive administrations had made failed attempts to fix it.
Otti said that “the Nunya-Eluama Road has a lengthy of 11.5-kilometers. It going to be an asphaltic concrete road with 7.3 meter carriage way and 1.5meter shoulders.
“The pavement consists of 200 millimeter thick laterite stone base, 200 millimeter thick rock stone base, 60 millimeter thick asphaltic concrete binder course and 40 millimeter thick asphaltic concrete wearing course.
“The shoulders would also receive a 30 millimeter thick hot road asphalt, culverts and drains will provided at sections where they are required, while, roadway marking, kilometer posts and street lights will be also be provided.”
In his remarks, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (Rtd), said that infrastructural development could be described as products of good governance.
Ihejirika, who is a native of Isiukwuato LGA, thanked the governor for redefining leadership in the state.
In their separate speeches, the member representing Isuikwuato State Constituency, Mr. Lucky Johnson and the Transition Committee Chairman of Isuikwuato LGA, Chief Chiwendu Onyeike thanked the government for coming to their rescue,
The said that the road when completed would yield socioeconomic growth in the area and enhance the wellbeing of the people.
Earlier, the General Manager of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Mr. Eric Shen, thanked the government for choosing CCECC to execute the project.
Shen promised that the project would be delivered in record time and all the specifications for the rehabilitation of the road would be met.
