The six kilometer road from Onuimo Abia/Imo State boundary leading to Enugu- Umuahia – Port Harcourt expressway tower has been flagged off for reconstruction and expansion into four lanes by Abia State governor Dr Alex Otti.
It was on this road at Ekenobizi military check-point that unknown gunmen on 13, November, 2024 attacked a Military check-point and killed two soldiers on duty.
The incident which caused panic, prompted residents to flee from the area for safety and fear of reprisal attacks thus instilling apprehension including closure of that route to/from Abia and Imo states through that exis.
Although the road had been re-opened for public use after visits of top military and police officers about two weeks ago, a visit to the area yesterday still suggested that not all the residents that fled had returned as active business activities were not palpable.
There was long vehicular queues on approaching the new military checkpoint from both Imo and Abia sides such that it took up to 25 minutes for vehicles on the queue to cross the check-point.
Speaking while flagging -off the road reconstruction event that was witnessed by hundreds of members of the communities along the road stretch, governor Otti thanked the Federal Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi and his team for cooperating with the Abia State Commissioner for Works and counterpart team to work out the technical details of this Project.
He said that this Project has been set up to be a landmark undertaking by his Administration because it is not just going to reconstruct the road as it is presently, but to expand it to a four lane dual carriage way in order to accommodate the heavy vehicular traffic along this stretch.
“In all, we are looking beyond giving visitors coming into the State from this area of Imo a more pleasant welcome experience, we are also taking very bold measures to guarantee the safety of road users, improve the fortunes of property owners along this stretch, and ultimately, support the activities of entrepreneurs and traders doing their businesses in the major markets and other income generating entities sited here.
” At the same time, it is important that I warn criminal elements and their sponsors, whatever be their motivation, that this place shall be very hot and miserable for them.
” We shall set every machinery of Government against them and the long arm of the law shall come after them no matter where they run to and however anonymous they imagine themselves to be. We shall be relentless, we shall be very brutal and merciless in dealing with those who may want to create panic or cause loss of lives and property in any part of Abia”
While looking beyond welcoming visitors into the State from this axis, he disclosed that very bold measures have been put in place to guarantee the safety of road users, improve the fortunes of property owners along this stretch, and ultimately, support the activities of entrepreneurs and traders doing their businesses in the major markets and other income generating entities sited here.
” I am glad to report that security agencies have effectively responded to the dastardly attempts by criminal elements to set up an operational base around this axis. We shall continue to give our gallant officers all necessary support to make every part of the State a safe place for citizens and all who operate within the boundaries of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
On compensation of those affected by the road expansion, he assured that
as a law-abiding and compassionate Government, his Administration that is guided by the principles of good conscience and sound judgement in all its undertakings, would as such, ” will when in public interest, we have to demolish properties to enable the smooth execution of projects, and pay reasonable compensations to genuine property owners as a necessary condition before touching those properties.
” I am aware that all relevant documentation have been concluded by the relevant agencies and I have given approval to the finance office to process payment and my assurance is that in the next few days, all landlords whose property have been marked for demolition shall receive their compensation in full”.
