Residents Protest Poor State Of Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road

Residents and stakeholders from Ikwuano Local Government Area (LGA), Abia state, have taken to the streets in a peaceful protest to express their dissatisfaction over the poor state of the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road which has been in a deplorable condition for years.

Residents of Ikwuano, which hosts the construction company responsible for the road project, took it upon themselves to investigate why despite several years of contract awards, no significant progress has been made on the road.

Speaking to newsmen on Thursday, a resident of Ikwuano, Mr. Rapture Ndubuisi, described the road as a “death trap,” highlighting its worsening condition over the years.

“They fix it, they don’t fix it well. Right now, the situation of the road is crazy. It’s affecting the economic situation of the community, the price of transportation is high, vehicles get spoiled, and it’s worse during the rainy season.

“You can’t ply this road from here to Uyo during the rainy season,” he said.

He pleaded with the government to intervene urgently and ensure the road is repaired with durable materials.

“The last time this road was actually tarred, it wasn’t quality. No drainage. I plead for the Federal Ministry of Works to come repair this road as soon as possible before the rainy season.

“I don’t know if they are waiting for the road to cut into two,” he added.

Addressing protesters and newsmen, Engr. Rawad Vehya, Senior Project Manager of Heartland Civil Engineering Constructions, attributed the project delay to the country’s financial situation.

He noted that while contract reviews are still ongoing with the Federal Ministry of Works, efforts are being made to mobilize and commence work.

“We are trying to do our best to do some work, even if the approval is not there. If you see, we are mobilizing the site, we are starting to work.

“Like we are talking now, we have huge certificates that need to be raised to the Ministry of Works, but we didn’t receive approvals for the price of these contracts.

“So hopefully things before Christmas will be solved,” he explained.

Engr. Vehya emphasized that the project’s progress is dependent on directives and budgetary approvals from the Federal Ministry of Works.

“I work under the Federal Ministry of Works, and any work that I do, it’s under their instruction to work at this location or at this location.

“They are the ones who give us the priorities for work. I will assure everyone and all this local government that we are doing our best to do the utmost that we can do.

“But again, there are a lot of restraints regarding budget, allocation, approvals, and processing of payments.

“All these things sometimes will delay the work. But we trust the Honourable Minister, and we are sure that all these things will be solved,” he assured.

Catechist Ambrose Jonah, a stakeholder in Ikwuano LGA, described the protest as a peaceful way to communicate their grievances to the federal government, stressing that only 20 percent of work has been completed on the road.

“Our appeal to the government is to realize that this road is an important road. A local government that is housing about two universities and one private university is not supposed to be taken for granted. This is a trunk A road that leads to Akwa Ibom State and Cross River too.

“We are appealing to the federal government to please ensure that they come to our aid. We’ve suffered a lot.

“If by paraventure the Umuahia Ikot-Ekpene road is not being done before the next rainy season, the truth is that it will become something else for both the people of Ikwuano and others using this road,” Jonah said.

Speaking to THE WHISTLER, Mr. Tony Onwubiko, the Federal Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works, said the work was previously slow due to the rainy season.

He confirmed that the contractors had received an advance payment and assured that work would resume shortly.

“Now that we are in the dry season, we expect physical works to progress quickly while awaiting approval for the requested augmentation.

“I assure you that the project will pick up very soon, but I cannot provide a specific date or timeline.”

He urged the community to exercise patience and avoid obstructing the contractor, emphasizing that the delays are not entirely the contractor’s fault.

“They should cooperate, give their maximum cooperation. At some point, they will block the contractor from even taking laterite from their borough pits and all of that. This will take days to resolve.”

Mr. Onwubiko further advised the community to reach out to the Federal Ministry of Works whenever they have concerns for clarification.