The federal government on Wednesday said it remains committed to completing the ongoing dualized road reconstruction and maintenance along the Enugu-Abakaliki highway.

The Project Engineer supervising the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway, Engr Yusuf Olatunji, stated this while reacting to allegations by Ebonyi women protesters that the contractor handling the dilapidated federal dualized road had abandoned the project.

Olatunji noted that serious steps had been taken to complete the project within this month by the federal government.

He said that the contractor has strategically placed road signs to guide those using the route to avert accidents but described the careless driving of some drivers as unfortunate.

He urged road users to be patient while using the one carriageway, while his team remains committed to completing the other carriageway as quickly as possible.

Olatunji also urged the general public to support the government’s efforts to build standard roads across the nation by not allowing any form of protest to delay the ongoing work in the state.

He stated that the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway was among the fastest-delivering projects across the nation.

Recall that the women of the Ntsuruakpa Izhia community in the Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State protested against the alleged abandonment of the road project, which they claim has been causing deadly accidents along the Abakaliki-Enugu highway.

The women, who blocked the Abakaliki-Enugu dualized roads near the Senator Sam Egwu Flyover Ezzamgbo junction in Ohaukwu council area in the early hours of yesterday, expressed sadness over the slow pace of the road project, which has been undergoing rehabilitation since last year.

While interacting with newsmen, the leader of the women, Mrs. Blessing Okweshi, lamented that the alleged abandonment of the project has been causing accidents, resulting in the deaths of those traveling on the route, especially residents.

Reacting, the former Coordinator of the Ohaukwu Development Centre, Chief Okweshi Obiora, and Chief Obasi James, a stakeholder in the community, observed that the level of loss of life already recorded on the road since last year was high. They urged the contractor to hasten the completion of the job to avoid further protests in the community.

The Executive Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Prince Ikechukwu Odono, who visited the scene of the protest, urged the women to embrace peace and return to their homes, assuring them that the contractor would expedite the work without any further delay.

Also, the State Commissioner for Capital Territory and Urban Development, Chief Sunday Inyima, advised the protesters to embrace peace, assuring them that the relevant authorities would address their demands without delay.

Nigerian govt assures speedy completion of Abakalili – Enugu road maintenance project