By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State, has hit hard on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for the delay in completion of rehabilitation of Port Harcourt road in Aba.
The party’s state Chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, who made the criticism, however, commended the governor for rehabilitating some roads in Aba.
Besides, he lamented that the Port Harcourt road – one of the three major entry routes into Aba – remained in bad shape.
The party pointed out that Port Harcourt road was the hub of fabrication tools and heavy-duty machinery serving the construction industry in the South East and South-South zones, and ought not to have been abandoned by the state government.
APGA said; “Do we need to remind Governor Okezie Ikpeazu that Port Harcourt road, due to the nature of businesses it hosts, generates the highest revenue in Aba? Perhaps, the governor doesn’t know or is yet to realize the importance of Port Harcourt road to the economy of the state.
“Port Harcourt road is the hub of fabrication tools and heavy-duty machinery that serves the construction industry in the South East and South-South zones. Such a road ought not to be abandoned especially when people’s houses and business premises were demolished without compensation.
“Residents of Port Harcourt road have suffered for too long.
“Governor Ikpeazu should make haste to complete the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt road to enliven lives and businesses which have gone moribund in the area.
“We also seize this opportunity to appeal to the Governor to engage reputable construction companies to build roads in the state.
“Governor Ikpeazu would be celebrated if he can break the jinx of not engaging Grade A companies like Julius Berger to build roads in Abia. Abia is a wealthy state and can afford to hire Julius Berger than these mushroom companies carrying shovels and head pans and using bowls to pour coal tar on the roads.”
Meanwhile, Governor Okezie, in a radio programme, promised that work would soon resume on Port Harcourt road as the rehabilitation of the drainages had been completed.
His words: “Work will resume on Port Harcourt road before the end of the week. We are starting with two of the six proposed lanes.
“Remember that we had done the full drainage works on the road on both sides, from beginning to end of the road.”
