By: Adémólá Òrúnbon

A socio-political umbrella, Nzuko Ikwuano Umuahia Citizens (NIUC), in Abia State, has reacted to the approval for the takeover of the rehabilitation of the deplorable Umuahia, Ikwuano-Ikot/Ekpene road by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government of Nigeria.

Recall that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), had approved the sum of N621.2 billion, on Wednesday, for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to handle the reconstruction of 21 federal roads across the six geo-political zones of the country, which the dilapidated Umuahia, Ikwuano-Ikot/Ekpene road was among.

Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works and Housing, had announced on Wednesday, while briefing State House reporters after the federal cabinet meeting presided over by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Reacting to the latest development through a press statement jointly signed by its President-General,  Kenneth Ekeleme and made available to journalists in Umuahia, on Thursday, Nzuko Ikwuano na Umuahia Citizens, applauded the federal government for the laudable gesture which is teethed towards ameliorating the sufferings faced by people on plying the dilapidated Umuahia, Ikwuano-Ikot/Ekpene road.

The group regretted that many people had lost their precious lives in fatal and ghastly motor accidents as a result of the dilapidated condition of the federal road, adding that the developmental gesture when completely rehabilitated, would not only enable ease and free transportation of goods and services within and outside the South-East and South-south parts of Nigeria, and particularly, the neighboring Cameroon.

The NIUC noted with enthusiasm that incidence of flooding and motor accidents that occurs often on the bad roads would become a thing of the past when the rehabilitation work is fully realized, expressing her readiness to support and cooperate with the contractor and road workers to ensure nothing hinders the rehabilitation work on the collapsed road.

The organization commended the lawmaker representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South federal Constituency of Abia state at the House of Representatives, Hon Sam Ifeanyichukwu Onuigbo, on his unwavering commitments, determination and several interventions which has  gained  the attention of the central government, by the approval, the takeover of the Umuahia, Ikwuano-Ikot/Ekpene road  rehabilitation project by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

The NIUC further passed a vote of confidence in Representative Sam Onuigbo, for rising the bar in the Infrastructural development of Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South Local government areas of the state, reiterating her undeterred support to the quality and peoples-oriented leadership of the federal legislator.

According to the socio-political group, "We want to use this medium to reaffirm our total and unflinching support to the Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia federal Representative at the lower chamber of the national Assembly, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, on her untiring efforts to see to the approval of the rehabilitation work on the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road which has formally be done by the Federal Executive Council meeting, held on Wednesday.

"The credit goes to the lawmaker who singlehandedly pursued the fight for the rehabilitation of the bad road. He has displayed uncommon leadership as representative of the people.

"Before now, the federal lawmaker, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, through interventions, had carried out several maintenance and palliative work on the collapsed road,  even toeing down the workers of the  Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to repair bad portions of the federal road.

"Onuigbo wrote to the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, with federal delegation from federal Minsitry of Works and FERMA visited Abia for on-the spot assessment of the collapsed road. The formal approval by FEC has been greeted with applauds and jubilations by the people and residents of Ikwuano-umuahia Constituency.

"History will forever be kind to Hon. Onuigbo whose achievements has superceded that of the past occupants of the federal seat in the House of Representatives for attracting the attention of the present federal government on the collapsed road after several decades of negligence and abandonment by the past successive leaderships both in Ikwuano/Umuahia federal constituency and the country at large".

The NIUC mocked the opposition elements for their unproductive and failed propaganda to blackmail the Abia-born lawmaker, through use of unreputable online news platforms over the collapsed nature of the federal road, asking them to tender apology to Hon. Onuigbo, seek forgiveness, and as well as hide their faces in shame for offending God.

"The disgruntled opposition elements have carried out countless of unsuccessful and negative activities  aimed to maligning the federal lawmaker, and pitch the constituents against him, for  them to fraudulently score cheap and selfish political points", he said

It called on the people of the federal constituency to remain steadfast in their support to the Abia federal legislator, reassuring that Rep. Sam Onuigbo will not relent on his avowed commitment and focus in the provision of dividends of democracy  to the doorsteps of every citizens of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South federal Constituency.