FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REAFFIRMS CONTROL OF UMUAHIA–IKWUANO–IKOT EKPENE HIGHWAY, COUNTERS ABIA STATE CLAIMS
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Ministry of Works has clarified the controversy surrounding the construction of the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene Highway.
The Abia State Government, under Governor Alex Otti, recently listed the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene federal road among projects newly launched by the state.
However, Chidi Uwaeziozi, Controller of Works for Abia State at the Federal Ministry of Works, told reporters that the Tinubu administration continues to hold full responsibility for the project.
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Uwaeziozi explained that the trunk ‘A’ federal road is still under federal oversight, contradicting claims that the Abia State Government had taken it over. He added that last year, the Federal Government restructured the contract into two phases to speed up completion.
Phase One, managed by Hartland Construction Company, remains under federal jurisdiction and is nearing completion, with about 1.5 kilometers still to be finished. He emphasized that the contractor is legally required to complete this section before leaving the site.
The Controller of Works criticized the state government for claiming the road as a newly initiated project, noting that rehabilitation efforts date back to 2016 through federal legislative intervention. The project was initially championed by a former lawmaker representing the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Hartland Construction has already rehabilitated approximately 25 kilometers of the road under federal supervision prior to the state government’s announcement.
Following the Otti administration’s commencement of work on the highway, former lawmaker Sam Onuigbo expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that portraying the road as a new state initiative undermines years of legislative advocacy and federal funding efforts.
Onuigbo condemned the politicization of developmental projects, stressing that the road represents a significant contribution by the Tinubu administration rather than a creation of the current state government.
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