The governments of Abia and Akwa Ibom States have committed to a new partnership to rehabilitate key roadways linking the two neighbouring states. The agreement was reached during a condolence visit by Abia State Governor Alex Otti to his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Governor Umo Eno, at the Government House in Uyo, following the recent passing of Akwa Ibom’s First Lady, Patience Eno.
Otti emphasised the need for collaboration to ensure that economically essential roads, particularly those connecting Abia and Akwa Ibom, are accessible to citizens.
We will work collaboratively to fix the roads linking our states for the socioeconomic interest of our citizens, Otti assured.
Eno also expressed his readiness to work with Abia State on pressing road projects and stressed the importance of accelerating federal government intervention on the 36.825-kilometre Ikot Ekpene-Aba road, which has been in poor condition for years.
For the road you have talked about, if there are other roads that we can, as two states, collaborate together to work on, I am sure we are prepared to do that. We can look at the road and see how we can partner to work it because, at the end of the day, it is our people who will use the road, Eno noted.
Acknowledging Aba’s significance as a regional commercial hub, Eno says he’s committed to ensuring smoother travel between the two states.
Aba remains a very strong regional commercial centre for all of us. I will see whatever we can do to ensure that our people have that smooth passage to and fro Aba, he said.
The Ikot Ekpene-Aba road, awarded initially to Messrs CGGC Global Projects Nigeria Limited in 2019, remains only 15.87% complete as of June 2024, stalling plans to dualise the route fully.
At 36.825 kilometres, the road lies within the Aba and Ikot Ekpene regions of Abia and Akwa Ibom States and is crucial for regional trade and accessibility.
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