Lawmakers Order Akwa Ibom Govt To Stop Road Construction In Abia Community
The Abia State House of Assembly has directed its Committee on Security and Boundary Matters to liaise with Abia State Deputy Governor and the Transition Committee Chairman of Ukwa East LGA, to resolve the matter of an alleged illegal construction of Uzonta road, a project from the neighboring Akwa Ibom community into the territory of Azumini Ndoki in Ukwa East LGA of Abia State.
The intervention followed a matter of urgent public importance brought before the House a few days ago by the member representing Ukwa East constituency in Abia, Mr Lewis Obianyi.
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Obianyi had alleged that the Akwa Ibom State government was carrying out unauthorized construction of Uzonta Azumini Ndoki road in Abia State, which according to him, led to the destruction of his people’s economic crops in the area.
He added that the plot was designed to grab their land and called on the Abia State government to urgently intervene to forestall any breakdown of law and order in the area.
The lawmaker said the construction of the road had already stretched five kilometres into his constituency, before his attention was drawn to it.
Speaking to journalists while inspecting the graded portion of the road, he appealed to the Akwa Ibom State Government to stop the construction, as the development was generating tension among communities in both states.
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He said, “My constituents drew my attention that the Akwa Ibom State Government through Ika Local Government Area is using tractors to encroach into some part of Azumini Ndoki community in Ukwa East Local Government.
“And from my inspection today, the process, so far, has gone about five kilometres deep into Abia State territory without any form of authorisation or consent from the appropriate quarters.”
According to him, the Mayor of Ukwa East Local Government, Ngozi Nwagbara, denied knowledge of the development when he contacted her.
Obianyi appeal to governor Alex Otti of Abia State to urgently intervene in the matter to avoid ceding the area to Akwa Ibom.
