The new federal controller of works for Abia State in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Anthony Onwubiko, has assured Abians that ongoing projects on federal roads in the state would be completed with quality results.
Onwubiko gave the assurance in Umuahia while receiving the executives of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, NSE, Umuahia branch, who visited his office.
The NSE team was at the Abia State office of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to understand the level and quality of job executions on federal road projects in the state.
Addressing the engineers, Onwubiko, who took over from Bede Obioha, blamed poor funding for the delay in the execution of the Uturu-Isukwuato-Akara federal road project.
He, however, expressed relief that with the SUKUK funds secured by the federal government, works have commenced on the road.
The Uturu-Isukwuato- Akara road would be delivered before or by 2024, he added.
Onwubiko further informed the NSE team that contractors are working on the Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road as kilometres 14 to 17 had been completed even as work is ongoing at the Umuahia end of the road which is funded by Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd, NNPCL.
While expressing delight that contractors are back on site, he attributed the delay in the completion of the project to the paucity of funds and the rising cost of materials.
On the state of Aba-Ikot Ekpene road, he affirmed that all bad spots had been rehabilitated with some sections already asphalted.
Continuing, he disclosed that there was a need for funds to first compensate owners of buildings at Opobo junction and Ohanze road, before any demolishing on that section of the road.
Onwubiko maintained that only qualified engineering firms with good track records were selected for contracts on federal roads in the state. Therefore, he avowed, Abians should expect quality job delivery.
Earlier in her address, the acting chairperson of the Umuahia branch of NSE, Angela Ifeanyi-Madu, said members of the society would always partner with the federal controller in delivering quality road projects to Abians.
She appealed to the federal government to speed up efforts on ongoing road projects across Abia State to ease the challenges faced by road users.
Some of the federal roads which are of interest to NSE, according to her, include Uturu-Isukwuato-Akara Road, Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road, Ohafia-Arochukwu Road and Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road.
