ENUGU—PH EXPRESSWAY REHABILITATION: UMAHI BLAMES DELAY ON INFLATION

REPORTER: PEACE AGBO

Federal Government has attributed the delay in completing the construction of the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Express way to high cost high of construction materials.

The Minister of Works, Chief David Umahi, who made this known while inspecting the Aba-Port Harcourt axis of the road, regretted that the rehabilitation which was inaugurated ten years ago with the completion target of forty months was yet to be achieved.

According to the Minister, President Bola Tunbu is doing his best to ensure the completion and expressed the hope that when completed, the project would be of great standard to improve the socio-economic activities of the area.

Chief. Umahi, however condemned the attitude of some road users and traders in Aba, who displayed their wares and defaced the rehabilitated axis of the road.

He noted that government had spent huge amount on the reconstruction of the roads and wondered why the citizens would not use them for the purpose they were meant for.

The Minister ordered the arrest of defaulters in Aba, who were using a part of the road as a loading bay, stressing that the Abia State Government would set up a task force to ensure sanity on the rehabilitated portions of the road.

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in-charge of Abia State, Mr. Tony Onwubiko, said that the project covered about 57Kms from Abia Tower in Umuahia to the Railway Crossing at Alaoji in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU