Ebonyi Govt. assures Community of constructing road leading to the area.
Ebonyi state government has assured the people of Ezzagu, Ishielu local government area of the state that it will complete the road leading to the community before the end of its administration.
The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Chief Ogbonnaya Obasi and Special Assistant to Governor Dave Umahi on Media, Francis Nwaze stated this while reacting to the complaints of the community.
They urged the people to be patient with the government, adding that the road connecting the community was initially awarded to a contractor and was terminated following slow pace of work.
Obasi explained that the road was awarded to another contractor on February this year and that the contractor has done 10km of its first phase remaining 5km of the phase to be completed.
The people of the area had complained that they have been neglected by the government without social amenities.
But the government said it has started constructing the road leading to the area to ensure its accessibility.
It also said the general hospital in the area it is currently reconstructing would be ready in the next seven days to tackle the health problems they complain they are facing.e
He said “remember when Ebonyi state was newly created and I had an assignment to do at Ezzagu, I had to access Ezzagu through Enugu state and that is the truth. People from that community will bear me witness that before Ebonyi state was created, you could only access Ezzagu through Enugu state. Thank God Ebonyi state was created and we now have these roads leading to Ebonyi state.
"It is on record that the Ntezi/Agba/Isu 35km road was constructed during the regime of Dr. Sam Egwu and that road was done on asphalt and completed up to Isu.
" It is also on road that the Agba/Eguhuo/Ezzagu road was also awarded on contract by the immediate past government of Chief Martin Elechi including one of the unity bridges.
"The road was completed but the belly bridge was still there; the belly bridge wasn’t completed. When His Excellency the Governor, Engr. Dave Umahi came on board, that bridge was completed.
" For the fact that Ntezi to Isu axis of the road has gone bad, His Excellency the Governor also took it upon himself to award the contract. For now, about 10km of that road has been completed on rigid pavement and work is still ongoing.
"Like we all know, when his Excellency came on board, he promised each local government in the state 15km of road rigid pavement construction and we know that Nkalagu/Ehamufu road in Ishielu has been completed by His Excellency and that road is about 17km.
" So, if anybody wants to fault His Excellency the Governor, it is not on road construction because he has done tremendously well on road construction. Right now, there is no local government in the state that has less than 20km of rigid pavement motorable. Ebonyi state as today, has the best road network in Nigeria.
"We know that government supposed to provide all the amenities but we also know that government doesn’t have all the funds all the time and therefore these projects are prioritized. Therefore, the 35km Ntezi/Agba/Isu road, we are just doing the first phase of that project and His Excellency is so committed to completing that project from beginning to the end as soon as this phase is completed. I am very sure that the second phase of the road will commence.
" We have said very often that these asphalts surfaces within one year will go down from our experiences. Thank God today that His Excellency is now doing our roads on rigid pavement where we have seen for the past five years there have been no failures. So, lets be patient with the government because like I said with time, this 35km road will also be completed like other ones and we still have about three years for this administration to wind up.
"I know that if we had started constructing the road from the middle, people will also complain; why are you started from the middle? What is important is that the project has been phased. From the first phase, the second phase will start as soon as the first phase is completed.
" Like you know, this road was initially awarded on contract and was terminated because the contractor was slow if you follow it very well. And then this job was just awarded to China Zonghai in January/February this year and they have been able to do about 10km. I am sure that but for the rains, before the end of this year, that remaining km will be completed. So, we are now battling with the rains but be rest assured that before the end of this year, that section will be completed and I assure you that the next phase will follow suit”.
"On his part, Special Assistant to Governor Umahi on Media, Francis Nwaze disclosed that a general hospital located in the area was currently undergoing reconstruction by the state government and that in the next seven days, it would be ready for use.
Nwaze said “If somebody is pregnant, I think there is what is called Expected Delivery Date(EDD) and before then, you are supposed to be in the hospital which is what those who are complaining that they die or their babies die on way to hospital in Abakaliki during labour should have done.
"The Agba General hospital located on the Ezzagu road is one of the General hospitals in the state that His Excellency the Governor approved for reconstruction and team led by Mrs. Ann Aligwe has started work there. In less than seven days time, the work will be completed.