Enugu State Government has announced plans to intervene on the dilapidated and abandoned Ehamufu-Nkalagu Federal Road in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the state to rejuvenate the economic potentials of the people and make evacuation of farm produce from the mainly agrarian community less cumbersome.
This facility abandoned since the early 1980s and coursing through Nkalagu (Ebonyi State) -Ehamufu-Obollo Afor-Nsukka-Adani-(Enugu state) to Anambra State served as a connecting arterial road from the North to the old South Eastern Region of the country, now South East and South South geopolitical zones.
Governor Ugwuanyi whose entourage arrived the Enugu – Ebonyi border axis of the very bad road came face to face with the harrowing experience of the residents of the area and travellers alike on the dilapidated federal road.
Distraught residents and community leaders who came out in their numbers to welcome the governor expressed surprise that he remembered the area allegedly long- forgotten since the 1980s when the defunct administration of Jim Nwobodo, former governor of old Anambra State last rehabilitatedthe the road.
While announcing that work will soon commence on the road, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who addressed the gathering explained that the 8KM portion of the 22KM stretch of the road will be asphalted with work going on simultaneously from the Ebonyi State border end and from the Federal College of Education, Ehamufu end of it.
The Enugu commissioner for works, Greg Nnaji who was on the governor’s entourage later clarified that while asphalt will be laid on the 8km portion aforementioned, remedial earthwork of grading and compacting will be done on the remaining 14 KM of the road to allow for safe passage during the rainy season.
He explained that two contractors will be engaged to hasten work and effect completion of the work on the intervention before the rainy season sets in.
Governor Ugwuanyi told the people that it is the policy of his administration to identify such neglected areas and put smiles on the faces of the people.
Also while inspecting the Ehamufu Cottage Hospital which has not received any government attention since 2005, and the Ebenyi Bridge also under rehabilitation in the same council area, the governor announced that N20m would be released for immediate rehabilitation and provision of some vital facilities to make the cottage hospital functional, assuring that the 45M-span-concrete-deck bridge would be delivered in March this year.
Earlier, leaders of the council area, including Commissioner for Local Government Matters, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga; the Chairman of the Local Government, Mr. Benjamin Edeoga; State Chairman of PDP, Mr. Augustine Nnamani; member representing Isi-Uzo in the state House of Assembly, Dr. Ogbuabor applauded Gov. Ugwuanyi for the historic working visit to Eha-Amufu, stressing that he was the only governor of the state to do that in the past decades.
They expressed optimism that Gov. Ugwuanyi as a caring and listening leader will commence rehabilitation work on the all important road, which they said would crash the prices of food stuffs in the state because of the agricultural potentials of the area as well as its status as a gateway to the North.
Enugu State Government had equally intervened in some other federal roads in the state, and now awaiting reimbursement in the tune of billions of naira from the federal government.
