A joint team of experts
were in Aba, Abia State from the headquarters of the African Development Bank
(AfDB) in Abidjan, led by Mr. Mwila Aeron Katambula, the Bank's Transport
Specialist, and a team from the Ministry of Works, for the final lap of talks
between Abia State Government and AfDB on some developmental projects of interest
to the bank in Abia State, reports ITRealms.
The state Governor, Dr
Okezie Ikpeazu, who received the team and another team from the Federal
Ministry of Works Abuja that accompanied the AfDB team on Wednesday at the
Government House Umuahia, said that Abia State can't wait to see the
commencement of reconstruction of some major roads in Aba, especially Port
Harcourt road and Ikot Ekpene road, among others.
"Road
infrastructure is very important to us in Aba. Apart from being the commercial
nerve Centre of Abia, Aba is the SME Centre of Nigeria. Aba is very important
to the economy of both Abia and Nigeria. So, the issue of road infrastructure,
waste management and storm water management are the challenges we face in
Aba.
"Abia State does
not have the resources to do good work at Port Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene roads.
With your visit today, you've renewed our hope that help will come very soon
and the roads will be fixed.
"On our part we
have tried to do what is required of us in terms of ensuring that the ground
work is done to enable AfDB come in." The Governor said.
Speaking on why they're
in Abia, Katambula said: "We are eager to participate in the development
of Abia State. Our mission today is a follow up to meeting we had before, we
want to ensure that everything is ready because we want to fast track the
projects that the bank will take up in Abia."
The AfDB and FMW teams
later met with the State's Commissioners for Works, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, and
that of Finance, Hon. Obinna Oriaku, and other top state government officials.
After several hours of
meetings, the Commissioner for Works, Hon. Ubani led the two teams to Aba, to
have on the spot assessment of the two key Federal Roads: Port Harcourt and
Ikot Ekpene Roads located in the commercial city.
The inspection tour
offered them the opportunity of first hand information of the level of decay of
the roads and the trauma and suffering of the residents and travelers in and
around these two key roads.
AfDB is currently doing
the technical analysis and studies of the roads before releasing funds for
repairs of the roads.
This accounts for why
the AfDB team had to come with the FMW team to meet face to face with Governor
Ikpeazu and his team in Abia.
During the visit to Aba,
the Commissioner for Works, Hon Ubani told the AfDB and FMW team that the state
government "is desperate to fix roads in Abia, and Aba in particular to
stimulate economic activities and drive development across the
state"
"So far we've done
a good number of roads which fall within the responsibility of the state, but
unfortunately, we can't fix federal roads without first agreeing on terms of
fixing them with the Federal Government.
"Unfortunately we
don't have the amount of money required to fix these roads, especially Port
Harcourt and Ikot Ekpene roads that is why we are delighted to have the AfDB
here together with a team from the Federal ministry of works, to see the level
of deterioration of these roads."
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Pix: the visiting team on inspection.
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