In its terse reaction to the claims by the opposition in the state that the Okezie Ikpeazu administration received $26 million US Dollars from the World Bank to rebuild the Port Harcourt Road and other infrastructure in Aba, Abia State government Wednesday, November 17, 2021, described such claim as frivolous and arrant nonsense.
The administration insisted that the claim by an APC lawmaker in the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Obinna Ichita that it collected 26 million US dollars from the World Bank for the reconstruction of the Port Harcourt Road and other roads in the commercial city of Aba balderdash, maintaining that the state government did not collect such an amount from the international financial body.
Addressing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barr Eze Chikamnayo said the World Bank did not release such amount to Abia State let alone the fund being mismanaged by the government.
He argued that the World Bank does not offer loans or grants to any government just for the asking without ensuring that the fund so released is adequately channeled to the specific project which it provided for.
However, Chikamnayo disclosed that government has begun the reconstruction of the Port Harcourt Road, a road, he observed, that connects other neighbouring states such as Rivers and Bayelsa. He pointed out that the contentious road has been expanded into six lanes, with one lane being worked on right now for immediate usage, while the other lanes will be ready as soon as possible.
Chikamnayo also revealed that work has begun in earnest on road projects like Ngwa, Obohia, Ohanku and major others in the town and dismissed the insinuations by some leaders APC and APGA that work has stopped on the infrastructural build in the entire state.
According to the Abia Information Commissioner, the Okezie Ikpeazu administration has construction over 80 roads in Aba alone, while it has built over 158 roads across the state and wondered why the opposition has failed to acknowledge that feat.
“What they see are few ongoing but uncompleted roads and untidy drainages which they quickly send their errand boys to take pictures on from the gutters forgetting that Abians cannot be deceived”, he said
On the ongoing Osisioma overhead bridge, the Information Commissioner who was flanked on the briefing by the Commissioner for Documentation and Strategic Communication, Mr Ugochukwu Emezue and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Barr Onyebuchi Omemanka said the contractor is waiting for the rehabilitation of the interchange of the bridge by the Arab Contractors handling the Osisioma axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway to complete the Osisioma Flyover Bridge.
He accused an APC chieftain in the state, Dr Alex Otti of sponsoring malicious and unwarranted propaganda against the Ikpeazu-led government because of political reason, stressing that the same Alex Otti has not seen any good in Ikpeazu’s government since he was defeated in the governorship race in 2015 by Ikpeazu.
On retired civil servants, Commissioner Chikamnayo said is being worked out to ensure that retirees in the state receive their monthly stipends as at when due, even as he described “gross hallucinating the glaring deceit by Mr Chike Udensi, in claiming he had written to the state government to allow him to take over the payment of retirees in the state.
Speaking at the press briefing, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okpeazu stated that there is a grand design to de-market since Governor Okezie Ikpeazu became governor in 2015, saying that the plan hatched by the enemies of the government is being intensified now that 2023 elections are fast coming.
He informed that the government will soon complete the Aba-Owerri Road in Aba and also deliver the Osisioma Flyover before Governor Okezie leaves office in 2023, adding that the administration has reconstructed many roads in the state which opposition is not talking about.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
