Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state has urged the Federal Government to give attention to abandoned federal roads and other projects in the State to ensure their completion for the benefit of the people.
The Governor made the appeal on Thursday, while officially declaring open the 29th meeting of the National Council on Works holding in the State.
Nwifuru while commending his predecessor, now Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for driving the President’s infrastructural initiatives to enviable heights, also appreciated him for laying a strong Infrastructural foundation for the state as Governor.
He maintained that his administration anchored on the people’s charter of needs from inception, factored in massive infrastructural consolidation and expansion as a means of promoting the people’s welfare and catalysing growth and development in Ebonyi state.
He appreciated the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led federal government for all infrastructural interventions in the Southeast in general, and Ebonyi in particular, and appealed that attention be given to all abandoned federal projects in the zone.
Nwifuru said: “We must appreciate the federal government for their intervention on our roads, especially the ongoing dualization of Abakaliki – Enugu federal highway, and the proposed coastal road which will traverse through Ndibe beach to Abakaliki, to Benue, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
“We are confident that timely completion of the proposed road will lift the face of our great state.
“In the same vein, we want to draw the attention of the federal government to numbers of abandoned federal projects, especially the Abakaliki – Afikpo road, Obubara – Oferekpe road, among others.
“These have subjected our people to untold hardship, and we urge the federal ministry of works to take immediate action to complete the projects.
“Together we can build a nation with quality infrastructure to support growth and development.”
In his remarks at the event,, Senator David Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works under his watch have made, and would continue to increase efforts towards eliminating all sharp practices by contractors which have hitherto hindered quality and timeliness of roads and other projects across the country.
He stressed that the Renewed Hope legacy projects of the President, including the Lagos – Calabar Coastal highway, the Calabar -Abuja superhighway and the African Trans-saharan highway, when completed, would open up so many rural communities along their corridors, enhance trade, commerce, Agriculture and investment in the country.
He charged the Commissioners for Work across the country to set up their own local Engineering team, increase local content in construction works while reducing capital flight emanating from exclusive use of foreigners.
He maintained that such was the method he adopted in Ebonyi state as Governor which yielded tremendous results at cheaper costs, adding that the method resulted to training of many professional engineers in the state who are today discharging quality works of world standards.
“We have to do everything to build our own Engineering team.
“If you put money ahead of engineering, you will fail.
“Commitment, consistency and love for the people should be your watchword”, Umahi admonished.
The 29th meeting of the National Council on Works has as it’s theme: “Unlocking Infrastructural Potentials and Opportunities as catalyst for Sustainable Development Under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
