Enugu State Executive Council (SEC) has approved funds for road repairs across the state,
The council said a total of 1,250 kilometres of roads had been slated for rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion in the next one year.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the SEC meeting held at the Government House, Enugu, on Friday evening, the commissioner for information and communication, Aka Eze Aka, said the road repairs were delayed by the rains.
He said roads asphalted during the rainy season do not last more than a few years, whereas the state government plans to build roads with up to 30 years lifespan.
Eze, who was flanked by the commissioners for finance and economic development, Dr. Nathaniel Uramah; works and infrastructure, Engr Gerald Otiji and the attorney-general and commissioner for justice, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, apologised to the people of the state for the pains they were going through due to the poor condition of the roads.
He urged them to be patient with the government as repair and reconstruction works were about to commence.
Giving more details on the decisions of the council, Otiji reiterated that a total of 71 urban roads and 10 rural roads would be rehabilitated under the first phase, assuring that work would commence in the next few days and weeks,” he said,
“The Executive Council today approved the release of funds for us to commence work. We apologize to Ndi Enugu for the plights they are going through as a result of the potholes on our roads. You will bear me witness that by the time we pronounced the 81 roads for repairs and reconstruction, the rains continued unabatedly. You all should know that the worst enemy of asphalt is water. We have been watching the situation using meteorological instruments to know how soon to commence work.
Otiji said the Council also approved some strategic rural and inter-local government roads selected to ensure spread across the three senatorial zones of the state, noting that more of such roads would be captured in next year’s budget. He listed the roads as the Owo – Ubahu – Amankanu – Neke – Ikem road, planned as a dual carriageway to connect the Obollo Afor without passing through Enugu city, opening an alternative major traffic corridor to Abuja and the North Central market; dualization of the Abakpa Nike-Ugwuogo Nike-Opi Road; the Amechi Idodo-Amagunze road, an entirely new single carriageway with two bridges to link communities in Nkanu East LGA by road for the first time; the Ama brewery junction Eke-Akama Oghe-Iwollo-Umulokpa Road linking Uzo Uwani LGA with a spur to Aguobu Owa in Ezeagu LGA; and the Akwuke Road in Enugu South LGA, from the Police Station through Gariki to the site of the proposed mass housing project in the area.
He said the Abakaliki road from the airport flyover to the Ebonyi State border would also be dualized in collaboration with the federal government, adding that the state government had held discussions with the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, on how to speed up works on the Enugu end of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
