Ihedioha flags off road projects, assures 20 years life span for each road
Imo State Governor, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, has flagged off the construction of 81km urban roads project worth N23.4 billion across the state.
This is as the state Commissioner for Works, Engr. Ben Ekwueme, assured on behalf of the contractors that the project would enjoy life span of 15 to 20 years when completed, adding that all would be delivered fully between 12 to 18 months of the commencement.
Earlier in his address during the flag off, Chief Ihedioha promised that his administration would not consider geographical divisions while addressing the developmental needs of the state.
He noted that his administration’s cardinal agenda is to run a one-stop state, where democracy dividends will be evenly distributed across the 27 local government areas of the state.
The 16 roads earmarked for construction under the project include Nkume/Umuowa/Owerri Ebiri/Umuna/Orlu; Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Umuna; Mgbidi/Oguta; Douglas/Emmanuel College/Naze and Naze/Poly/Iheagwa/Obinze.
Others are Control-Post/World Bank; Ahiara Junction/Okpala; IMSU/Bishop’s Court; Okigwe Town/St. Mary’s Catholic Church, MCC/Toronto junction, Aba Branch/Ahiara Junction, Concorde/Zuma/Port Harcourt, among others.
Though Orlu Sports Stadium was left out, the governor also flagged off the reconstruction of Government Technical College, Okporo, Orlu, Government Technical College, Owerri, Dan Anyiam Stadium and Grasshopper International Handball Stadium, Owerri.
Ihedioha averred that “Today we are commencing construction of urban roads and comprehensive roads rehabilitation across the state to address the sorry state of our roads. We have tried to provide palliative measures on the roads ranging from the desilting of drainages to address the perennial flooding to filling the failed portions.
“We have deliberately chosen state roads while we have also commenced discussion with the federal government for the federal roads including Owerri/Orlu/Akokwa Road,” he went further to say.
“In order to ensure that a good job is done and to guarantee the durability of the project, painstaking processes were observed. The process of getting to this point was transparent and followed due process. All these were done to ensure not just quality assurance but value for money.
“It is significant again that we are flagging off this project in Orlu Zone. We are running a one stop state. For us all, Imo belongs to Imo people and geographical divisions have nothing to do with our unity as a people.”
Ihedioha also charged the contractors handling the projects to deliver to specifications and guarantee their durability, pointing out that his administration is committed to providing durable projects.
Business Hilights recalls that the governor recently flagged off the the rehabilitation of 381 km rural roads across the local governement areas in the state, through the Rural Access Mobility Project 2(RAMP2) worth N13.5 billion.
