Anambra-Abuja Same-Day Return Trip Possible Under Tinubu, Says Soludo’s Commissioner

By Praise Chinecherem

The Anambra State Government has said the ongoing Federal Government-backed road projects in the state could make same-day return trips between Awka and Abuja possible when completed.

The State Commissioner for Works, Architect Okey Ezeobi, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference, attributing the Federal Government’s growing infrastructure investment in Anambra to the cordial relationship between Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration and President Bola Tinubu’s government.

Ezeobi described the Federal Government’s presence in the Southeast, particularly Anambra, as unprecedented, arguing that the Tinubu administration had delivered infrastructure projects the region had long awaited.

According to him, major road projects approved by the Federal Government include the dualisation of the Oba-Okigwe road and the Otuocha-Abaji road, which he said would significantly reduce travel time between Awka and Abuja.

“That would be a game changer. If completed, it will take about five to six hours. What this simply means is that you can go to Abuja from Awka and return the same day,” he said.

The commissioner also disclosed that the Federal Government had approved the construction of pedestrian flyovers at Regina Junction and the second gate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, following Governor Soludo’s appeal to address pedestrian safety concerns, particularly among students.

He further announced the ongoing construction of a bypass linking Nkwelle Ezunaka to the Second Niger Bridge through Ogbunike, Ogidi and Obosi, noting that the Anambra section of the project was valued at N180 billion.

“We’ve never had this good before,” Ezeobi said, adding that the Federal Government had also demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the rehabilitation of the First Niger Bridge.

“The rehabilitation of the First Niger Bridge, I was reliably informed, is being handled differently from other projects, with the Federal Government working day and night.

“All these are coming up as a result of synergy with Anambra. We’ve never had this level of infrastructure investment under Tinubu, even when we didn’t vote for him,” he stated.

Anambra Government Defends Road Projects

The commissioner also dismissed online reports alleging that the state government awarded road contracts to incompetent contractors, resulting in poor-quality roads across Anambra.

He described the reports as politically motivated, insisting that the Soludo administration engaged reputable construction firms with the capacity to deliver quality infrastructure.

However, Ezeobi acknowledged that some portions of roads constructed across the state had failed, attributing the deterioration to factors including unusual rainfall, underground water saturation, indiscriminate refuse disposal and deliberate blockage of drainage channels to harvest sand during the rainy season.

He also blamed overloaded heavy-duty trucks for contributing to road deterioration.

The commissioner assured residents that reconstruction of affected road sections would commence soon, with the original contractors undertaking the repairs at no additional cost to the state government.

According to him, the rehabilitation process would involve removing failed asphalt, treating the underlying soil to withstand underground water pressure, applying cement-stone stabilisation and relaying the asphalt.

Anambra Has Asphalted 742km of Roads — Ezeobi

Providing an update on the state’s infrastructure development, Ezeobi disclosed that the Soludo administration had awarded contracts for 908.044 kilometres of roads, with 742 kilometres already fully asphalted.

“As at today, we’ve awarded 908.044 kilometres of roads. We’ve fully asphalted 742 kilometres of roads. That’s unprecedented,” he said.

He added that the state government had awarded 143 road contracts and promised that the ministry would officially release the list of projects.

The commissioner further claimed that the combined road construction achievements of the previous three governors did not match the 742 kilometres of roads asphalted under the current administration.

“We have the records in this ministry,” he said.

Ezeobi also maintained that failed portions of the asphalted roads amounted to less than five kilometres, describing the figure as evidence of the quality of infrastructure delivery under the Soludo administration.

“Nobody has ever provided the kind of infrastructure the governor is doing at the moment. That’s why he should be celebrated wherever his name is mentioned,” he added.

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