Hon. Sam Onuigbo has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the successful completion of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road, highlighting recent progress made under the NNPCL Road Tax Credit Scheme. With fresh funding secured and ongoing rehabilitation efforts, he calls on stakeholders to support the project’s timely completion for the benefit of motorists and communities. Read more!
A former House of Representatives member, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, has sounded the alarm over the delays plaguing the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene federal road project, despite years of lobbying and interventions. He warned that any move to transfer the project back to regular ministry funding could derail progress and worsen the suffering of motorists and communities dependent on the road.
Addressing journalists, Onuigbo provided a detailed account of his efforts in attracting federal attention to the critical road, which links Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River States, and even parts of Cameroon. He highlighted how he initiated the push for its reconstruction through a motion in the House of Representatives on May 26, 2016, following repeated complaints by traditional rulers, community leaders, and road users.
According to him, the intervention led to a directive from the then Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, for the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to commence palliative repairs on the worst-hit sections of the road, particularly the Ndoro-Okwe axis. However, inadequate funding slowed down the progress, forcing him to intensify lobbying, including multiple letters to the federal government in 2021 demanding urgent intervention.
A major turning point came when he successfully lobbied for the project’s transfer to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) under the Road Tax Credit Scheme, securing a fresh funding stream for the road’s rehabilitation. This move, he stressed, was crucial in ensuring steady financing, which has since facilitated ongoing repair works. The lawmaker revealed that an additional N14.37 billion was approved for the project on February 3, 2025, reflecting the importance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu places on infrastructure development in the South-East.
However, Onuigbo cautioned that the proposed move to return the project to regular ministry funding would be counterproductive, leading to further delays and setbacks. He called on political officeholders, stakeholders, and concerned citizens to pressure the NNPCL to release more funds to expedite the project’s full realization.
Beyond road repairs, Onuigbo also credited President Tinubu for approving the construction of a Federal Secretariat at Ekeoba, Ohuhu, in Umuahia North LGA, and commended ongoing efforts to complete the Achingalli-Udo-na-Obizi-Umunwanwa-Ubakala federal road. He praised the contributions of key figures such as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for his role in the South East Development Commission (SEDC), Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti for his state-wide infrastructural interventions, and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for ensuring proper funding of federal projects.
Onuigbo further urged the Minister of Works to expedite the awarding of the 16-kilometer Umuahia-Umudike dualization project, which includes a long-overdue interchange (flyover) from Amachara across the Abia Tower to Ossa.
As the fate of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road hangs in the balance, he called on residents, motorists, and all stakeholders to support ongoing efforts and ensure the completion of the road, which has remained a nightmare due to decades of neglect.
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