Okechukwu Commends Tony Nwoye for his Stance

By Tunde Eso 

The former Special Assistant to the former Governor of Enugu State, Sir Simon Martins Okechukwu has commended the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Dr. Tony Nwoye on his stance in the plenary session of the Senate on 18th July, 2023, urging Federal Government to repair the dilapidated Onitsha-33-Otuocha-Adani-Ogurugu-Nsukka Road.

Speaking to journalists at Enugu, Sir Okechukwu, said that this singular act by the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial Zone must be commended, most especially by the good people of Enugu North Senatorial District, Igbo-Nsukka.

Okechukwu stated that he had severally written the former President Buhari and of recent, to President Tinubu, according to him, "I have written to President Tinubu, I have also severally written to the former President Buhari and the current President Tinubu on the dilapidated condition of the said Road.

Okechukwu recalled that the said road was constructed by the former President Oluseugen Obasanjo as the military Head of State, and he rehabilitated it again as the civilian President of Nigeria, which Sir Okechukwu complained that though the contractors that rehabilitated roads were not competent to execute a project of such magnitude. While he stated that he called the attention of the 9th National Assembly, but with the interventions of the former Senator representing the Enugu North Senatorial Zone and the Senate Minority Whip, Senator Barr. Chukwuka Utazi who lobbied and influenced the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) where they rehabilitated some portions of the delibilated area of the roads.

Further said that with the complained of Senator Dr. Tony Nwoye, it is expected that the National Assembly should look into this urgly situations for the immediate intervention of the Federal Government to urgently reconstruct and rehabilitate the dilapidated Road bordering Enugu State and Anambra State.

Sir Okechukwu said that road which is 48 km stretch is a Federal government designated infrastructure. 

The former Special Assistant added that the Trunk A road is major economic link in the entire South East linking, Enugu, Anambra and Kogi States, which traverses the entire Igbo-Nsukka and beyond. 

Sir Okechukwu decried that the dilapidated state of the road has led to the loss of so many lives and properties. Even Farmers find it difficult to get their produce to the market. 

Narrating the ordeals in support of Senator Dr. Tony Nwoye, Okechukwu thanked the Senator Tony Nwoye for informing his colleagues that the road plays an important role as it connects many agrarian communities both in Anambra and Enugu States respectively.

He emphasised that the road is a major food basket of the Southeast region.

He further joined in describing the road as a national critical project, which Sir Okechukwu also cautioned that if allowed to dilapidated, may lead to food scarcity, bring untold hardship, neglect and exacerbate the sufferings and pain on the people and the attendant loss of revenue that would have accrued to the government.

He said; "the road needs repair due to the presence of critical infrastructure like the newly discovered oil in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area located along that Anambra, Enugu and Kogi States corridor and many other businesses, which contribute huge sums of needed revenue for the nation

He said, "this road if approved for rehabilitation should be segmented into two and three sections, the first section is dualization from GRA Onitsha to Aguleri/Otuocha junction (about 10km); and the second section will also be dualization of Otuocha Junction to Adani, while the remaining should be complete dualization of Adani to the University Town, Nsukka, Enugu State. 

In his support to the Senator, he also lamented that despite the fact that the project is under the Federal Ministry of Works & Housing, it has till date not been awarded due to paucity of funds, hence the need for placement of funding to be financed through the NNPCL Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, under which it is the financier.

He said ; if the road is reconstructed Anambra State shall be easily accessed directly to Kogi in two hours instead of going through Enugu.

Okechukwu finally, appeal to the 10th Senate and also urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to urgently commence design for the road, while also urging the Committees on Petroleum Resources Upstream and Works (when constituted) and Legislative Compliance to ensure implementation.