By Uche Nwosu
The city commercial city of Aba, Abia State went agog today as the Abia State Governor Alex Otti kicked off the handing over of nine road projects to different contractors in a manner described by the residents of the city as novel.
The process of rejuvenating Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, kicked off in earnest Wednesday with the hand over of nine road works to different contractors by Gov Otti.
The Governor, who was accompanied by his Special Adviser on Works, Engineer Otumchere Oti, defied the afternoon showers as he toured the degenerated roads across the Aba metropolis.
Excited residents cheered the governor and his entourage, which included the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Emmanuel Emeruwa; his deputy, Rt Hon Augustine Meregini and the deputy Majority Leader, Hon Destiny Nwagwu, at every stop as he (Otti) was shocked by the level of the decadence of some roads that dotted the long stretches of the roads earmarked for rehabilitation.
Angered by what he saw, the Abia governor declared, “We had promised that we’re going to rebuild the roads. The first thing is that we clear the drainages, because if we don’t do that, we won’t be able to build roads that would last.
“As you can see on this Azikiwe Road, the main job here is to clear the drainages, desilt them and open up the flow of water to Aba River.
“There are a few roads we want to rebuild completely and those are the roads that we have come to handover to the contractors today”.
Governor Otti told the ecstatic crowd.
Some of the roads that will receive immediate attention in order to “significantly reduce the sufferings of motorists within Aba” are, namely:
- University Road, Abayi
- Green Avenue
- Udeagbala Road
- Shallom Road
- Umuimo Road
- Old Express Road
- Abak Road with adjoining streets
- Queens Street
- Jubilee Road.
However, his Special Adviser on Works later told newsmen that more roads will be included for rehabilitation in due course.
Meanwhile, desilting of drains have commenced along Azikiwe Road. This exercise, according to the SA on Works, will continue along so many other roads to facilitate the free flow of storm water, and hence, reduce flooding on the roads.
