Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has boasted that his government’s audacious move to reconstruct the dilapidated Ohafia-Arochukwu federal road in the state is a step toward saving the Federal Government from international embarrassment.
Otti made this statement while appealing to the Federal Government for reimbursement of the expenses incurred by the state for the reconstruction of the 41.4 km road.
MUK TV reports that the Ohafia-Arochukwu federal road was previously awarded by the federal government for construction in 2018 and funded in 2020 with the approval of N12 billion by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
However, since then, work on the road has stalled, leading to the abandonment of some sections by the contractors handling the project.
At the unveiling ceremony of the rehabilitated road on Wednesday, Otti highlighted the importance of the project for the people of Abia.
He said, “We have sincerely taken a bold step to save the Federal Government from international embarrassment. Though this is a federal road, it is important to the Abia people. I, therefore, plead with the Federal Government to take bold steps to reimburse the state. We have taken bold steps to fix the road.”
In his speech titled “Beyond Roads: A Jinx is Broken,” Otti traced the history of the road’s reconstruction efforts back to 1976, which led to the saying, “There is no road to Aro that is easy.”
“Decades ago, coming to Aro was an uphill task, as there is no easy road to Aro. We have started a holistic process to put an end to this adage,” he declared.
The governor also expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his commitment and cooperation throughout the negotiation with the Federal Government regarding the road.
He vowed that “On no account will any road be allowed to decay for decades” in Abia State.
Otti’s statement, however, elicited reactions from Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s media team, who criticized the governor’s remarks for discrediting the senator’s efforts in awarding the contract by the federal government.
They accused the governor of failing to acknowledge Kalu’s role in resurfacing the road when he was governor and, subsequently, as a senator, convincing former President Buhari to release funds for the construction of the road.
“Firstly, the governor credited the construction of the road to the administration of Dr. Michael Okpara instead of Dr. Ikokwu of PTF and his Personal Assistant, Mr. Ocha Achinuvu, who were instrumental in the road’s construction during their time in the Petroleum Trust Fund.
“Under the administration of Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu as Abia State Governor, the Arochukwu/Ohafia Road was resurfaced from Umuahia to Arochukwu. Therefore, for Governor Otti to claim that the road was abandoned by public servants since M.I. Okpara is quite worrisome.
“As the Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu played a critical role in persuading then-President Muhammadu Buhari to release funds for the construction of the Arochukwu-Ohafia road. Through his efforts and those of other public servants from Abia North Senatorial District, then-President Muhammadu Buhari ordered funds to be released for the road construction.
“It is important to draw the governor’s and his team’s attention to the fact that through the efforts of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Hon. Uko Nkole (former member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency), the road was constructed up to Umuchiakuma in Arochukwu LGA, leaving approximately 14.5 kilometers remaining,” the statement read in part.
