Issues as Tinubu comes to inaugurate Port Harcourt road Aba

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By Steve Oko

When Gov. Alex Otti, shortly after his emergence, and few weeks before his swearing in , showed up at Port Harcourt Road Aba, the visit sparked a waive of controversy and exchange of tantrums between his camp and that of the then out-going Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

Otti, then Governor-elect, later sent in a team of experts from the construction giant, Julius Berger, for a survey of the dilapidated, abandoned and nearly -impassable Port Harcourt Road.

Of course, the survey attracted a lot of attention as a crack team of media practitioners including this writer, joined the Contractor in trekking the 5.6- kilometre road from Ngwa Road junction to Alaoji end where it peters into the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

Aba residents were over excited as they lined up to watch the team navigate through the muds and heaps of refuse dumps that had literally taken over the failed road.

While some residents rejoiced, others were sceptical, dismissing the move as yet another ‘show-off’ for which politicians are known.

For the later, they would not believe anybody again until they see work begin in earnest on the road as ‘seeing is believing’. Why should you blame them considering the history of the road?

Some residents were over-heard raining abuses on the out-going administration in the state for failing to fix the all-important Port Harcourt Road Aba despite several promises, and being in power for eight solid years.

Recall that the out-going administration in the state then, had also attempted to reconstruct the road but could not deliver.

The contract was said to have been awarded to a contractor who rather zealously demolished buildings close to the road, attempted to construct water channels in some parts of the road before abandoning the project for who-knows reasons.

A number of property owners were left miserable following claims that their structures were demolished without any compensation.

When eventually Governor Otti assumed office and indicated interest that his administration would fix the road, there was a lot of jubilation among Aba residents.

The joy of Enyimba residents knew no bounds as Julius Berger began to roll in its earth-moving and other manner of equipment preparatory to the flag-off of the iconic road project.

Some excited residents reportedly slaughtered cow and boiled its meat on the road, and like Cook Hilda Baci, gave free meal to members of the public just to celebrate the new dawn.

However, another waive of controversy was sparked off when the contract sum of the project was disclosed.

Agents of the former administration claimed that N30 billion was rather too outrageous to reconstruct a 5.6 kilometre road.

But Otti’s camp in self defence dismissed their claims as the ranting of an embittered foe who was only ashamed that what he could not do for eight years would soon be achieved by another person in a shorter period.

But for Aba residents and indeed Ndi Abia, the contract figure was not their headache. All they needed to see was the restoration of the strategic Port Harcourt Road at any cost provided the Government could foot the bill.

Some eminent Abians weighed in, expressing their personal opinions about the move by the new administration to fix Port Harcourt Road considered very key to Aba’s economic renaissance, the.

Perhaps the most -faught opinion was that of an elder statesman and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara.

The former Senate President who hails from Ohambele in Ukwa East, few kilometres away from Port Harcourt Road, had said that by taking a bold step to rebuild the abandoned road, Otti had earned himself a second term in office.

Incidentally, Senator Wabara, is the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which had superintended over the affairs of Abia State for nearly 20 unbroken years.

Senator Wabara only expressed his personal opinion as a bonafide indigen of Abia also affected by the condition of the road, and not as a polititican, nor did he spoke for his party.

But unfortunately, the former Senate President came under fire by the foot soldiers and bootleakers of the outgone administration who wanted him punished for merely speaking the simple truth.

All hell was let loose as they demanded his sack from his prestigious position as PDP BoT Chairman.

They even made frantic but futile efforts to stop his confirmation as the substantive BoT Chairman as he was at that time, the Acting BoT Chairman.

When they could not stop his eventual confirmation, about a year later, not yet done, they resurrected their bitter and misplaced campaign of calumny against the BoT Chairman.

They purportedly claimed they had suspended him from the PDP for anti-party, citing his honest remarks on the road project.

But as always, they were again disappointed as their unprovoked attack against an innocent elder statesman, again met a brickwall.

Instead of sacking Senator Wabara, PDP BoT members passed a vote of confidence on him – an action said to have been the first or second of its kind since the history of the party.

Senator Wabara, was however unperturbed as he even dared his traducers to do their worst.

He vowed never to be cowed from expressing his honest personal opinion devoid of partisan politics as a free citizen.

Wabara was not alone in his opinion that Gov. Otti had broken a jinx by moving to fix Port Harcourt Road which his predecessors were unable to fix.

Other eminent Abians from different political parties also expressed similar opinion, giving Otti thumbs up for his wise decision to delve into reconstruction of the strategic road.

But today, Senator Wabara will be counted as one of the few elders who stood firm with the people, and on the side of truth even at the risk of their political interest.

The troubles of Wabara for speaking the truth, are however, not the import of this write-up, and will be revisited in subsequent editions. So, let’s return to Port Harcourt Road.

Governor Otti had promised to deliver on the project in 24 months, a promise he has truly kept.

Port Harcourt Road was already ready for inauguration before the Governor clocked two years in office, and was actually slated for inauguration but for Mr President’s busy schedules as he could not make it to the state for the historic inauguration.

So, the inauguration was postponed and rescheduled about twice, and some folks wanted to yet make a political capital out of it.

But finally, and baring any last minute changes which are very unlikely, President Tinubu will be cutting the ribbons for the formal inauguration of the all-important Port Harcourt Road Aba, on Friday October 3, 2025.

By fixing Port Harcourt Road in less than two years after taking over the reins of power, a tasks his predecessors could not handle for over 20 years, Gov. Otti has indeed left no one in doubt that he came truly prepared.

Apart from the Port Harcourt Road, the Governor has also delivered on some other key roads in Aba and other parts of the state, some of which will also be inaugurated by the President.

Perhaps, the latest in Otti’s road revolution is the proposed reconstruction of Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road, that has been in deplorable condition for decades.

Gov. Otti bad during the last edition of his monthly media parley, hinted that the reconstruction of the 51-kilometer road will soon be flagged off.

Although the Governor did not provide details about the project (and there was no follow -up question for him to elucidate on that – no thanks to the restricted nature of the media parley), it is believed that the flag-off will be among the tasks that Mr President will perform during his visit to Abia.

He may also flag-off the 3.5 billion dollar Abia medical village among other functions.

Just as Senator Wabara predicted, Otti’s second term bid may be a walk-over in view of his legendary achievements particularly in road infrastructure, just in two years.

Abia which was crawling behind others, is surprisingly becoming a reference point in so many sectors.

Truly, there is a new dawn as residents are awakening to the reality of a New Abia, a pointer that truly, a New Nigeria Is Possible!

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Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.