The member representing the South East in the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Rep. Sam Onuigbo, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to transfer the completion of the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway to the Abia State Government has revived optimism for the project’s early completion.
Speaking at a press conference in his office yesterday, Onuigbo said the President’s intervention reflected responsiveness to public concerns and a practical step towards addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges in the South East.
“The directive to hand over the project to the Abia State Government is a wise and considerate step that shows attention to regional concerns,” he said.
Following the directive and a progress report from the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, the Federal Government handed over the remaining 25 kilometres of the 49.5-kilometre road to Abia State for completion.
Onuigbo, who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency in the 8th and 9th National Assembly, described the road as a key economic corridor linking Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and even Cameroun, adding that its completion would boost regional trade and mobility.
He recalled that efforts to fix the highway began with a motion he moved in the House of Representatives on 26 May 2016, highlighting failed sections between Ndoro and Okweukwu communities in Ikwuano Local Government Area.
“This journey to the rehabilitation of the highway dates back to my motion on the floor of the House in 2016 and subsequent engagements with the then Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola,” he said.
Onuigbo noted that earlier federal interventions had reconstructed about 24.5 kilometres of the road, covering sections from the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia to the National Root Crops Research Institute, with drainage and erosion-control works completed at key points.
He said further efforts led to the award of the project in 2019 to Hartland Nigeria Limited and Raycon & Company Nigeria Limited, while later funding constraints prompted its inclusion under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Tax Credit Scheme.
Onuigbo commended the cooperation between the Federal and Abia State Governments, saying such partnership would help ensure timely completion of the project. He urged residents along the corridor to continue supporting the contractors and maintaining a peaceful environment for work to progress smoothly.
