Anambra Assembly Urges FG To Resume Work On Enugu-Onitsha Expressway
The Anambra House of Assembly on Friday urged the Federal Government to resume and complete work on the Anambra section of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.
The resolution followed a motion raised under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, by Mr Nnamdi Okafor, Majority Leader and member representing Awka South l Constituency.
According to Okafor, the Enugu-Onitsha expressway is a major highway that connects the South-West through River Niger to the South-East, South-South, and Northern Nigeria via Benue and Kogi.
He said the reconstruction contact of the important Trunk-A highway with heavy vehicular traffic, was awarded to Messrs Reynold Construction Company (RCC) in November 2018 with a completion period of 42 months.
The majority leader said that RCC started work immediately on the worst dilapidated Umunya/Awkuzu axis and completed it in record time.
He said the company immediately after, embarked on the Amawbia/Awkuzu section.
According to him, the contractors were doing well at a very good pace until the lockdown and state boundary closures that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The lockdowns and interstate border closures have been lifted by the federal government several weeks ago, and construction companies and businesses have since resumed their activities.
“We are worried that the contractor, RCC, has yet to return to site about five months after stoppage of work, and the reconstruction may be abandoned again as was done in the past.
“We are also convinced that immediate resumption of work and completion of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway will boost economic activities and improve goods delivery time.
“It will also minimise vehicular damages, increase revenues to states served by the highway and eliminate the agonies of the road users,” the lawmaker said.
The Speaker, Mr Uche Okafor, commended the federal government for the quality of work being done on the road and prayed for the immediate resumption of work it.
“Be it therefore, resolved that the Anambra State House of Assembly calls on President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Minister of Works, to direct the contractors handling the Anambra section of the Enugu-Onitsha expressway to return to site and complete the good works they have started.
“The completion of the expressway will alleviate the sufferings of road users, ” he said.
In another resolution, the assembly urged Gov. Willie Obiano to direct the state’s road maintenance agency to patch all potholes on state roads to encourage free mobility of people, goods and services.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Mr Patrick Udoba, representing Anambra West Constituency.
According to Udoba, maintenance is essential to keep the roads in good condition and ensure safety along the routes.
“We are aware that the state government recently acquired three automated dura pothole patching machines for each senatorial zone to help the agency maintain and attain zero pothole on our roads.
“The rainy season has opened a lot of potholes on our roads and if not checked, they will pose serious threat to the lives, property and economy of the state,” Udoba said. (NAN).
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