Enugu airport shutdown: Reps urge FG to fix Owerri road

The House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to urgently undertake remedial work on the Owerri-Orlu-Idoato-Uga road to ease traffic flow  in the area following the renovation work going on at the Akanu Ibiam International  airport, Enugu,  Enugu state,

This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Chigozie Pascal Obi titled, “Extension of Remedial Work on Owerri -Orlu-Idoato-Uga Federal Road” at the plenary

While presenting the motion, Hon. Obi noted that with the closure of the Enugu airport, there was heavy traffic on the road which links several local governments headquarters in Imo state, expressing concern that this could constitute further hazards to communities and villages in Ideato federal constituency.

He said the Owerri-Orlu-Ideato-Uga federal road linked the capital of Imo state through Uga to Awka, the capital of Anambra state.

Hon Obi expressed worry that the stretches of the road from Orlu-Mgbee-Umuchima-Obioha-Urualla have collapsed, with devastating gullies, on both sides of the road.

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He informed that: “The government of Imo state under the leadership of Senator Rocha’s Okorocha had executed projects and made appreciable efforts in this regard but the unintended over-flooding arising from the destructive climate change, destroyed some of the works to unimaginable proportions.”

The lawmaker said he wary of the grave devastation on the road, including the collapse of Umuchima-Mgbee bridge as a result of excessive erosion as well as the none continuation of the expansion and dualisation project on the road.

According to him, the high death rates from accidents and other minor mishaps, especially on TJ collapsed bridge linking Mgbee (Orlu) and Umuchima, including the ravaging impact of the erosion menace.

Ruling on the motion, the deputy speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase urged the federal ministry of works and housing to include dualisation of the road in the 2020 budget estimate. He also mandated the committee on works and housing and appropriation to ensure compliance.

Giving more insight on the importance of the road, the lawmaker said with the Enugu airport being shut down, the pressure on the road was enormous and if urgent efforts are not made, the people of the south-east states would suffer untold hardship.

He said the federal government should hasten to the resolution of the House in order to save his constituents and indeed people of the region from preventable road mishaps.