Politics
THE Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Sen. Osita Ngwu, says the South-East is receiving significant attention in road infrastructure development under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Ngwu, a member of the Senate Committee on Works, stated this on Monday during the Renewed Hope Media Tour of ongoing and completed federal projects in Enugu State.
Some of the inspected projects included the Eke Obinagu Flyover linking Enugu and Ebonyi states, sections of the Enugu-Portharcourt Expressway, the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, and the ongoing Abakpa Junction Bridge project.
Speaking at the Eke Obinagu Flyover, Ngwu described the bridge as a major intervention that had eased traffic congestion along the busy route connecting Ebonyi and Enugu states.
The lawmaker said the bridge was awarded in 2024, adding that as a member of the Senate Committee on Works, they monitored the project from the beginning to the end.
“Before now, this place was a nightmare for commuters because it serves as the gateway from Ebonyi State into Enugu State. The congestion here was enormous.
“We appreciate the Tinubu administration for constructing this bridge and completing it within a remarkable timeframe. Work never stopped from commencement to completion,” he said.
The senator dismissed claims that the South-East has been neglected by the Federal Government, noting that the region was currently witnessing numerous infrastructure projects.
“Being honest, I was among those who once said that the South-East was abandoned in the past. But that is no longer the case.
“Since the coming of the Tinubu administration, Enugu has not been abandoned. We have been carried along and several federal road projects are ongoing in the state as we are part of the centre,” he said.
Ngwu also highlighted the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Portharcourt Expressway, recalling how the collapsed Artisan Bridge had once disrupted movement between the two states.
“Through the intervention of the Federal Government and the Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, that bridge was fixed in record time.
“There was a time it took between five and six hours to travel from Enugu to Portharcourt because motorists had to use alternative routes through villages.
“Today, it takes just a little over two hours. That is the impact of the infrastructure projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
According to him, ongoing federal projects in Enugu include the reconstruction of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, the dualisation of the Enugu-9th Mile-Makurdi Expressway, the Abakpa Junction interchange, and emergency interventions on damaged sections of the Oji-Achi-Mmaku road.
He said the reconstruction of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway had significantly reduced accidents, particularly around Ugwuonyeama axis, previously regarded as a death trap.
Ngwu said that the South-East could no longer claim marginalisation in view of the ongoing infrastructure investments in the region.
Also speaking during the tour, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Mr Sunday Dare, said the Federal Government had not neglected any part of the country.
“Every region is being carried along and Nigerians are already feeling the impact of ongoing road projects across the country,” Dare said.
He cited the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure, including the bridge linking Enugu and Port Harcourt, as evidence of the administration’s responsiveness.
“By the time we conclude our assessment across the six geopolitical zones, Nigerians will have enough evidence that the President is working for the country,” he said.
On his part, Federal Controller of Works in Enugu State, Mr Smart Okpi, said the Eke Obinagu Flyover was a Federal Government project designed to decongest traffic around the busy market corridor.
According to him, the 350-metre dual carriage bridge was awarded in April 2024 and has been substantially completed.
“At the moment, the contractor is installing expansion joints before the bridge is opened to traffic.
“The project was handled by Reinforced Global Resources Ltd., an indigenous company, and the quality of work conforms with Federal Ministry of Works standards,” Okpi said.
He said the Enugu-Portharcourt Expressway rehabilitation project covers 61 kilometres on each carriageway while 32.5-kilometre section of Enugu-Onitsha Expressway had recorded substantial progress, with most carriageways completed.
The Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Peter Mbah on External Relations, Mr Uche Anichukwu, commended the Federal Government for the Eke Obinagu Flyover project, describing it as strategic to regional economic growth.
According to him, the project complements the Enugu State Government’s ongoing dualisation of the road corridor leading to the Ebonyi border. (NAN)
F.O
Tags: Osita