The member representing Ukwa East constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Lewis Obianyi, has alleged unauthorised construction of Uzonta-Azumini Road in the constituency by the Akwa Ibom State government.
Hon Obianyi made the allegation when he spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend on Friday after inspecting the graded portion of the road and appealed to the Akwa Ibom State government to stop the project.
He said, “My constituents drew my attention that the Akwa Ibom State government through Ika Local Government Area is using tractors to encroach into some part of Azumini Ndoki community in Ukwa East Local Government.
“And from my inspection today, the process, so far, has gone about five kilometres deep into Abia State territory without any form of authorisation or consent from the appropriate quarters.
“Surprisingly, when I contacted the mayor of Ukwa East local government, Dame Ngozi Nwagbara for her reaction, she vehemently said she is not aware of such an inter-state project.”
The House Committee chairman on Niger Delta Development Commission, the state Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, and the ministry of petroleum said the process had destroyed many economic crops and farmlands.
According to him, he had also called on the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno “to resist the temptation from any parochial interest group and do the right thing as the man of integrity he has been known for.”
But, the traditional ruler of Azumini Ndoki, HRH (Prof) Ebere Eule acknowledged that delegates from Akwa Ibom State had informed him that the road is a Niger Delta Development Commission project.
The monarch explained that he demanded a detailed document or Memorandum of Understanding on the project from them, which they failed to do but went back to start grading the road.
He called on the Abia State government to urgently intervene in the matter to avoid ceding the area to Akwa Ibom, adding that a similar case that occurred at Akirika-Obu Ndoki is now being contended in court over the ownership of the area.
