Have you recently visited Eziukwu, Osusu, Milverton and Ojike Roads in Aba, the commercial capital of Abia State?
If no, please stop reading at this point until you have visited those roads because if you do not know how those roads were before compared to how they are now you won’t understand or appreciate the rest of what I am about to state. But if yes, feel free to confirm or dispute the facts I will present shortly.
I don’t think anyone who has visited Aba to do business or lived in that wonderful city of innovators and entrepreneurs will dispute the fact that those roads remain very key link roads associated with the commercial fortunes of the city directly and indirectly. Most first time visitors to Aba from Lagos who traveled via luxury buses will readily associate with Eziukwu, Milverton and Ojike lanes while those who move from Ahia Ohuru (main market) to Ariaria international market to complete their shopping will necessarily know how key Osusu Road is to connect to Faulks (Ariaria) Road.
For many years, those roads were in terrible states and defied attempts to reconstruct them by previous administrations in the state. As at the time Governor Ikpeazu was inaugurated in 2015, none of the roads could present end to end passage way to road users. The roads were mostly flooded and cut off at critical points until Governor Ikpeazu confronted headlong the reconstruction challenges presented by the roads.
In all cases, the challenge was to manage storm water and properly channel it to the natural storm water collection point in Aba, Waterside River, and then totally redo the roads in a manner that will permit the roads take the associated heavy traffic and still last for many years.
Governor Ikpeazu started by reviewing storm water channeling plan for the roads using his vast local knowledge of the city to identify connection points with existing mega drains and then deployed cement technology (aka rigid pavement technology) to solidify Osusu and Eziukwu Roads before overlaying asphalt on the roads. In the case of Milverton and Ojike, he is currently executing massive construction of drains that will help channel storm water to Waterside before embarking on the next level of earth work to deliver quality brand new roads to our people.
I personally watched Milverton cut into two within months of reconstruction in the past and knew the problem was how to channel the storm water flowing through CPS from Okigwe Road area to Waterside River. In those days, Milverton was “reconstructed” in less than 4 weeks without any consideration for drains or storm water channels.
Those who lived in these areas in those days must be seeing the current efforts by Governor Ikpeazu to do a durable work on Milverton and other roads as “slow” but not even one person has ever complained of the quality of the work being done.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu would rather be remembered for doing high quality road projects than for executing the fastest road projects in Abia State. He is aware of the fact that in due course, Aba people will appreciate his style and canonize him without remembering the doubts of today.
The bottom line is that Governor Ikpeazu is adding to the road infrastructure capital of Abia State by diligently constructing durable roads that his successors would not have to reconstruct in a very long while. Only a man who deeply cares about doing the right thing will adopt the Ikpeazu attitude to quality above speed.
#IkpeazuSabiTheWork
By the way, have you noticed that new mega money businesses are opening up at Aba these days? Why do you think they are coming to Enyimba City even though sour politicians continue to buy up media spaces to disparage the city and cast aspersions on Governor Ikpeazu?
Let’s meet at village square along Factory Road and discuss.
-JOK
