By Praise Chinecherem
It was celebration galore in Anambra East and West Local Government Area of Anambra State following Federal Government’s approval of the award of contract for the 30 kilometers long abandoned and forgotten Otuocha-Nzam-Innoma-Iheaka-Abaji Road linking many rural Communities in Anambra North with Abaji in Kogi State.
This is coming after years of abandonment which has virtually cut off many communities in Anambra West from interacting with their fellow Anambraians over the years. Some of the communities have to go through Illah in Delta State in order to have access their homes and farmlands.
As the news for the award of the road with new designs filtered the whole communities, people trooped out in their numbers to celebrate the news while praying to God for this wonderful Christmas gift.
Many of the residents said they have been abandoned and forgotten for years because of the deplorable state of Otuocha-Nzam-Innoma-Iheaka-Abaji federal road.
Some of the indigenes of the area who spoke with our Correspondent were full of thanks to the lawmaker for the lawmaker’s generousity.
“Our people are very happy because we have stayed for many years without access to the road. We were in the dark, cut off from other parts of the state. So, with the project awarded, we were hoping that one day we would be connected to other parts of the state,” he said.
Some of the farmers lamented what the poor condition of the road has caused them over the years. They spoke of the hardship of evacuating farm produce due to the condition of the road. See our children there, suffering to cross the yams. After suffering to plant, you hardly see buyers, they lamented.
The people in their numbers thanked Dr Tony Nwoye, the senator representing Anambra North at the 10th Senate for making this a reality. We are grateful to our Senator, Dr Tony Nwoye, The Minister of works, the Federal Government and the Leadership of 10th Senate for putting smiles on our faces.
It will be recalled that The Otuocha-Nzam-Inoma-Iheaka-Abaji road is a 30-kilometre road that was awarded on December 3, 2009 by the administration of then President Umaru Musa Yar’adua to NigerCat Construction Limited.
The road was abandoned over the years. It took the intervention of Dr Tony Nwoye to draw the attention of the Government to the poor and deplorable state of the road. Senator Tony Nwoye paid several visits to Ministry of Works,with accompanied letters of “SPECIAL REQUEST FOR INCLUSION IN 2023 SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET AND ALSO FOR RE-AWARD FOR REDESIGN AND RECONSTRUCTION/REHABILITATION. This request was graciously granted by the Federal Government which has led to the re-award of the Contract to NigerCat Construction Limited.
Dr. Tony Nwoye who is highly elated, thank the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and also Senator Akpabio led 10th Senate for making this road a priority.
Senator Nwoye, assures that proper evaluation, Monitoring and oversight will be carried out once the Contractor moves to site,in order to ensure that quality work is done by the Contractor and also to ensure that there is value for money.
