Governor Alex Otti, on Wednesday, commissioned the more than three-kilometre Uratta Road and 3.955-kilometre Old Express Road in Aba for reconstruction, assuring the residents they will be completed within 24 months.
In an address at the ceremony in Aba, Mr Otti said, “It may especially interest us to know that the resources required to finance every phase of the project have long been secured, so there will be no delays.
“So, the story is that if the entire money had not been assembled, we wouldn’t be here today. So, if there is a delay, it’s not because there is no money, because the money is sitting in the bank. The engineers and heavy-duty equipment you find here moved ahead of us, and will remain until the projects are satisfactorily delivered.”
The governor said the road reconstruction marked a significant step toward restoring Aba’s infrastructure and commercial importance. He described the projects as part of the first phase of the Greater Aba Road Infrastructure Restoration Programme.
The governor said road improvements would begin immediately, with overall completion expected within 24 months.
Mr Otti noted that deteriorating infrastructure in Aba had contributed to businesses leaving, job losses, and a decline in the city’s reputation as a regional centre of commerce and industry.
Mr Otti said the reconstruction of the two roads would end about 25 years of suffering experienced by residents and businesses along the corridors.
“When these projects are completed and inaugurated in about 24 months or less, we can formally declare an end to the nightmare of the last two-and-a-half decades or even more. It was painful to watch several business leaders abandon what they had built through the years in Aba to move to other places as the deterioration endured.
“The exit of these entrepreneurs created growing gaps in the local economy, with thousands losing their jobs as customers took their patronage elsewhere. The reputation of Aba as the regional engine of commerce and industry slipped away,” he said.
Mr Otti further said that the poor state of infrastructure had contributed to rising criminality, such as armed robbery and kidnapping. He said that his administration, upon assumption of office in 2023, had committed itself to restoring Aba’s former glory, including improving security.
“You can take it for granted that the 25-year nightmare you faced on Uratta and Old Express Roads is now over and never again will you have those ugly experiences that defined our past,” he said.
Otti recalled that previous administrations had made efforts to rehabilitate the roads but failed to deliver lasting results. This time, the story is different, and the projects shall be completed and delivered on schedule,” he said.
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