Reps Works Committee Commends Umahi on Management of Federal Roads
The House of Representatives Committee on Works has lauded the Ebonyi State Government for complying with standards in the construction of federal roads in the state.
The committee made the commendation when its members, led by Toby Okechukwu inspected the Nkalagu-Ehamufu Road, Abakaliki-Afikpo Road and the Amasiri-Okposi-Uburu Road, which are being reconstructed by the Governor David Umahi-led administration.
The inspection by the committee is a part of their oversight function on Federal Government roads in the states of the federation. Okechukwu told journalists that what they had seen was a clear manifestation that the Ebonyi State Government had enormous capacity to improve road infrastructure.
“Seeing is believing. I think the efforts of Ebonyi State Government is manifestingly clear. The quality of work and strategic nature of the investment on infrastructure, very good. I believe what they are doing is futuristic. And that is expected because, His Excellency is an engineer, so he knows what will last,” he said.
The chairman assured that the committee would make recommendations to the Federal Ministry of Works for refund of monies expended by the state government on the federal roads based on verifiable evidence.
The lawmaker also pledged to make recommendations for the inclusion in next year’s budget, the second section of ObolaforNkalagu-Ehamufu-Ikem Road to alleviate the suffering of motorists and transporters.
Hon. Okechukwu said the team was encouraged by the massive investment of the Ebonyi State Government on projects that were futuristic and strategic. He specifically mentioned the three flyovers and other road projects going on in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Fidelis Nweze, who conducted the committee members round the road projects, had appealed to the Federal Government to show its presence in the state by constructing more federal roads and refunding the state about 75 per cent of its resources invested on federal roads.
The commissioner listed the federal roads receiving attention from the state government as the Nkalagu-Ehamufu Road, Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Amasiri-Okposi-Uburu Road and Amasiri-Ngudu Edda Road.
He told the committee that all efforts were geared towards the completion of the roads before March 2017.
“We are doing these because we cannot allow our people to continue to suffer because we have federal roads. I am appealing to you sir, to tell our brothers over there to look into Ebonyi State and come to our rescue on federal projects and road construction.” Umahi condoles with Udom... Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi has described as calamity, the collapse of a church building in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in which scores of people were killed. Umahi, in statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, said he put a phone call across to Governor Emmanuel Udom shortly after the incident occurred on Saturday.
“My heart is heavy. I feel so terribly sad over this calamity. My heart is with my brother governor, who escaped death by the whiskers. My heart is also with the families of those who lost their loved ones to the incident. My heart is with the entire people of Akwa Ibom State. All Ebonyians share their pains,” he said in the statement.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and for quick recovery of those injured.
Umahi used the opportunity to call for stricter rules guiding building constructions, saying now was the time for Nigeria to have a workable national building code.
“I also feel that the time has come for the Nigerian Institute of Building, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers and other relevant professional bodies to buckle up and effectively monitor the activities of their members,” he advised.
Nigeria, according to the Governor, “has lost too many lives to building collapse and this latest one in Uyo is way too much. A stop must be put to this.”