The Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the administration of Governor Alex Otti of giving a misleading impression about the reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene Road, insisting that the project is primarily a Federal Government initiative.
In a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, the APC said claims suggesting that the Abia State Government is solely responsible for the reconstruction of the road fail to acknowledge the role played by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government in sustaining the project.
According to the party, the reconstruction effort was facilitated through the initiatives of former lawmaker Sam Onuigbo, who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency in the 8th and 9th National Assembly. The APC explained that following a motion moved by Onuigbo in 2016 and engagements with the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Government initially awarded a contract to Foretex Nigeria Ltd for palliative work between December 2016 and April 2017.
The party further stated that subsequent discussions with the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, led to the full reconstruction contract being awarded in 2019 to Hartland Civil Engineering Construction Company Ltd at a cost of N13.2 billion.
APC noted that the project has remained under the Federal Government, with the contractor continuing work on the road. It said the company is currently completing the final segment of Phase One between Isiala Oboro and Ogbuebulle communities in Ikwuano Local Government Area.
The party explained that the Abia State Government’s involvement relates only to a 25-kilometre Phase Two corridor around the Ikwuano axis near the Orpet Filling Station area, where road expansion required the demolition of residential buildings and compensation for affected property owners.
According to the statement, the state government engaged Geld Construction Company to handle that stretch under the Federal Government’s “Build and We Will Reimburse” policy, which allows state governments to partner with the Federal Government on infrastructure projects. It added that President Tinubu approved the partial handover of the section to the Abia State Government under the policy.
The APC said the Federal Government contractor had already been working on the road before the state’s intervention and stressed that Abia would be reimbursed after certification by the Federal Ministry of Works.
While commending the collaboration between federal and state authorities, the party urged the Otti administration to present accurate information to the public and give due recognition to the Federal Government for its role in the project.
The party added that it remains proud of the infrastructure record of the Tinubu administration, particularly in improving road connectivity in Abia State and the wider South-East region.
