What is Heaven's name is holding this project from being completed since the year 2008 ???
Fellow Nigerians,
Do you know that there is a Federal Road awarded since the year 2008, to reduce the herculean movement from the FCT to the east of Nigeria, from the current 6 hours to a mere 2 hours 30 mins drive !!!
The road was facilitated by the enormous efforts of certain members of the Legislature . . . specifically pragmatic statesmen like Honourable Ralph Okeke and Hon Chuma Nzeribe . . . who had several meetings with the appropriate agencies and government personalities . . . such as Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke . . . who was then the Honourable Minister of Transport, and Prince John Emeka (Minister of State, Transport) during the administration of our beloved late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua.
Hon Ralph Udenze Okeke and Hon Chuma Nzeribe went to great lengths . . . fighting to have this all-important road included in the budget, since the year 2007.
Each time . . . several hitches came up . . . obscuring the dream of a direct highway between Abuja and Anam, on the banks of the Anambra River. A bridge across Anambra River had earlier been commissioned by former Presdent Olusegun Obasanjo . . . as a prelude to the realisation of this strategic vision.
Alas, after the exit of Hon Ralph from the National Assembly . . . this wonderful project went dead !
No reasons have been given for this unacceptable situation, except the excuses by the relevant Federal Government Agency that they were forced to embark on the project by the legislature . . . and now that our son, (Hon Ralph an indigene of Anam . . . Anambra East/West Federal Constituency) who fought for the road Hon Chuma Nzeribe . . . are no longer in the Legislature . . . and there is no hard-fighting Rep or Senator to move this train . . . . the project would remain dead . . . inspite of its strategic economic, social and political benefits to the whole easterners !!
The current movement from Abuja to the east, namely, Anambra, Imo, etc, is a very incredible experience . . . .meandering all over the place. To add insult to injury, there are now reports of serious security threats to the lives and properties of travelers, especially around the Uromi - Agbor axis of the road.
While we continue this piece later . . . i urge all well-meaning Nigerians who know the potential of this Federal Highway awarded to MOTHERCAT, to continue to bring up this issue . . . until that project is realised.
In fairness to the incumbent Senator of the affected Constituency . . . it may be that certain efforts are being made . . . but we are not told . . . and there is no information whatsoever . . . either in the print or electronic media . . . explaining the reason for the failure to complete this project . . . . since the year 2008.
The Orient Petroleum Refinery . . . being the very first private refinery to be set up in Nigeria . . . is set to begin production in less than one year from now, according to His Excellency Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State. So you can imagine the investments that would stream into the southeast if this road were to be completed well ahead of the refinery schedule.
In addition, the very community, Anam, where the road takes off towards Kogi . . . is the a food basket of the east . . . whose yam products . . . popularly called "Ada Onitsha" in the food market . . . is well-known. These poor farmers would have the rare opportunity of sending their bumper harvests up north . . . especially given the fact that they lack the means of preserving their harvests for a very longtime. They are forced to sell them off at the only market available . . . which is Onitsha . . . for reasons of transportation challenges to any other place.
I urge every person reading this piece to circulate it via popular blogs, websites . . . and if possible . . . connect the Channels TV admin, as well as Africa Independent Television (AIT) . . . to invite the principal architects of this project . . . whose names have been mentioned . . . as well as the incumbent legislators . . . to throw more light on this subject.
Until then . . . .
I remain . . .
Yours for Nigeria as a Regional Power,
Dr Chioma Obi
081 8344 5656
080 3817 7859
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