An investigation carried out by PUO Reports based on official documents from the Federal Ministry of Works has revealed that the ongoing reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road and the planned intervention on the Aba–Port Harcourt section of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway followed formal requests from the Federal Government inviting the Abia State Government to take over the projects.
The documents contradict recent claims by some opposition figures suggesting that the road projects were attracted through political lobbying.
Correspondence dated July 3, 2025, from the Federal Ministry of Works and signed by the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator (Engr.) David Umahi, shows that the Federal Government formally wrote to Governor Alex Otti requesting the Abia State Government to consider completing the remaining sections of the projects.
According to the document, the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road rehabilitation had already been awarded as a federal contract covering a total length of 48.92 kilometres.
However, records from the Ministry show that only 13.74 kilometres had been completed, leaving 35.181 kilometres outstanding.
The Federal Government therefore requested the Abia State Government to take over the completion of the remaining section of the road because of its strategic importance to the state and neighbouring regions.
The letter further revealed that the request was made in line with a Federal Executive Council (FEC) policy which allows state governments to intervene in federal road projects and recover their investment through tolling arrangements.
Under the arrangement, states that finance the completion of federal roads may recover their investment through tolling in collaboration with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
In a separate communication issued the same day, the Federal Ministry of Works also invited the Abia State Government to intervene in the completion of the remaining 31 kilometres on the Port Harcourt–bound lane of the Aba–Port Harcourt section of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
The Ministry explained that while part of the project had been completed, the Abia State section still had an outstanding stretch requiring completion.
The documents also show that the Federal Government estimated the cost of completing the Aba–Port Harcourt section within Abia State at about ₦38.49 billion, while providing engineering designs and measurements to guide the intervention.
What the Documents Reveal
• The Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road project was originally awarded by the Federal Government before the recent political controversy surrounding it.
• Out of the 48.92km road project, only 13.74km had been completed, leaving 35.181km outstanding.
• The Federal Ministry of Works formally requested Abia State Government to take over and complete the remaining portion of the project in 2025.
• The Federal Government permitted the state to recover its investment through tolling, in line with federal infrastructure concession policies.
• A similar request was made for Abia State to intervene in the Aba–Port Harcourt section of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
Key Findings from the Investigation
1. The reconstruction and completion of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road originated as a federal infrastructure project.
2. The Federal Government formally invited the Abia State Government to intervene in completing the outstanding portion of the road.
3. The intervention is tied to a federal infrastructure financing framework that allows cost recovery through tolling.
4. The same arrangement applies to the Aba–Port Harcourt section of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
Promise Uzoma Okoro
