No doubt, roads are sine qua non to the development of any society. Roads open up areas. So, when Governor Willie Obiano came on board, he knew that roads and bridges are very important to Ndi Anambra.
Coming from a private sector background, Governor Obiano thought that the litmus test for the efficient spending of scarce resources was to build roads that would be beneficial to the generality of the people. Thus, he decided to construct roads leading to industrial clusters, agrarian hubs, the oil fields and commercial centers as well as roads that would make life easy in Anambra’s fast expanding cities and discourage the growing rural-urban migration.
In pursuit of that vision, Governor Obiano has completed 15 bridges across the three senatorial zones of Anambra State. They include the three flyovers in Awka and Amawbia and other bridges like the Nengo River Bridge; the Iyiora Bridge; the Ebenebe-Amansea-Ugbene-Ugbenu Bridge; the Umueje Oil Rig Bridge as well as the Kisa River Bridge in Umunya.
There is also the SARS Awkuzu Abube-Nando Bridge; Ndiukwuenu-Awa-Ufuma Bridges (they are three); the Ezira-Umuomaku-Enugu Umuonyia Bridge and the Section 2 Mmiata Anam-Nzam Bridge. The 280 meters-long Aguleri Uno – Aguleri-Otu Bridge that leads to the oilfields stands out as the longest bridge in South East. No previous administration ever paid this much attention to the importance of linking up diverse communities split apart by nature with modern bridges.
On roads, the Obiano administration has awarded 53 Roads in Anambra South and completed 11 of them. Some of the roads awarded and completed in the area include the Oye Utu-Akwuata-Court Road in Nnewi South, the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Road Uli in Ihiala and the Ebenato Udene-Amichi Road.
In Anambra Central, the administration awarded 76 roads and completed 20 of them. Some of the roads completed there include the Commonwealth Road-Anyaoku Street-Mbidebe Enweozor Street-Afor Adike market Road, Obosi; the Agbaja Abatete-Oraukwu/Alor Junction Road and the Ebube Muo Nso-Blessed Iwene Tansi Parish Road; Nkwo Enugwu-Ukwu-Express road as well as the Eke-Uke-Uke Maternity Road.
In Anambra North Senatorial Zone, the administration awarded 89 roads. The figure was pushed up by the multiplicity of internal roads in the Anambra International Airport Umueri. Out of this figure, the Obiano administration has completed 26 roads in the zone. Some important roads awarded and completed in the area are: the Awkuzu SARS-Abube Nando Square Road; Ose Okwuodu Market Road, Onitsha, the Nengo River Road and the Umueze-Igboezunu-Adani Road in Anambra East among many others.
It is important to note that the Obiano administration has not abandoned any road project. The records from the Ministry of Works show that out of the 97 roads Governor Obiano inherited when he took over, he has completed 54 of them while the rest are still undergoing construction.
Some key roads that Obiano inherited and faithfully completed in fulfillment of the continuity mandate include; the Ekwulobia-Ezinifite Road; Ndiokwu-Amikpa-Oki Umuchu Road; Nsogwu Umunze Road; Igboukuwu-Ekwulumili Road; the Justice Nwazota-Oraifite-St Theresa’s Road; St Peter’s Nnewichi-Oguonu Road; Ozubulu- Oye Neni-Adazi nnukwu-Akwaeze Igboukwu Road and Umunamehi Road in Ihiala among many others.
A close look reveals a great effort to balance the distribution of roads to ensure that every zone is given a fair share of patronage by the government. This is also reflected in the level of attention paid to the need to complete some key roads in the different zones.
Notably, all the roads completed by Governor Obiano have a clear and distinct purpose that they fulfill. It is a validation of his declaration that his administration would give priority to roads that have economic and social values to Anambra State. So, the question, ‘road to where?’ is sufficiently answered in Obiano’s choice of roads to construct.
WRITTEN BY DR. TIMOTHY IFEDIORANMA
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