Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has ordered Tunnelend Construction Company to return and undertake a full reconstruction of the Unuaro/Ekwereazu Road in Obingwa local government Area of the state.
The poorly constructed road which was completed in December 2018, failed before June 2019. The construction firm, Tunelend, is owned by Engr Enyinnaya Nwafor, son of former late deputy governor of the state, Dr Chima Nwafor.
Speaking on a live radio program, Magic 102.9 FM Aba, Governor Ikpeazu, who appeared angry over the poor construction done on the road, which is currently the only route in and out of Aba from Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers states, due to complete failure of federal roads linking the states, said that the poor work on the Ekwereazu road didn’t meet the standard of roads done by his administration.
“Yes I have received calls and complains about the poor construction on the road. I have ordered the contractor to return to site and ensure a complete reconstruction of the road. Ministry of Works will monitor what they are doing to ensure that the standard in terms of the roads that our administration is known for, is maintained.
“I am not happy about the poor job done by the contractor. There is no way we will accept that a road done by this administration failed less then on year after construction. Unfortunately, we have not commissioned the road, so the must reconstruct the road”. Ikpeazu said.
Governor Ikpeazu reiterated that his philosophy of road construction is that it is better to build few but durable roads than multiple roads that fail before they are commissioned.
Ikpeazu said: ” I don’t believe in palliatives; it’s either I do it and do it well or leave it. I want Abia to remember me as a man who did not do all the roads, but who the few ones he did have refused to fail.”
There has been public outcry over the poor construction on the road.
