PRESS RELEASE
Re: Isuikwuato gully erosion
The state of Isuikwuato-Okigwe federal road worries Abia State Government led by Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.
This administration and others before it have repeatedly drawn the attention of the federal government to the bad state of the road and the threat posed to commuters, farmers and others by the ever expanding gully erosion, in the hope that the relevant agencies of the federal government will intervene to save our people from the trauma they face daily while using the road.
It is important to note that the scope of work required to fix that key stretch of road that connects our people to neighboring Imo and Ebonyi States, requires resources far above what the state government can muster currently.
We therefore call on relevant agencies of the federal government, including NDDC, Ministries of Environment and Works to immediately come to our rescue by performing their constitutional duty of care to the hardworking and peace loving people of Isuikwuato and Abia State through the declaration of the area and others in the state similarly threatened as ecological disaster zones requiring urgent critical intervention.
As a responsible government, we have made interventions to arrest the negative effects of rampaging gully erosions at Imenyi in Bende LGA, Abiriba roundabout in Ohafia LGA and Umuda Isingwu in Umuahia North LGA.
We are willing to work with the federal government and contribute in whatever way possible to tackle the challenge of gully erosion at Isuikwuato as well as other threats at Agu Eze Amaogudu Abiriba etc.
The state ministry of works is currently executing 3 road projects at Isuikwuato; Eluama Amilo Acha and Amino Otamkpa, Ovim-Acha and Ogboro-Amibo Acha roads, which are at various stages of completion.
Governor Ikpeazu has directed that an inter-ministerial committee, including works and environment, visit the area on Wednesday to assess what can be done by the state to ameliorate the problem posed by the rampaging gully.
We wish to call on other well meaning Abians with cords to the federal government to consider the dangers posed to the common people of the area by this natural disaster and lend their voices to the call for an immediate intervention rather than the political point some desperately seek to make.
While we continue to work hard to fix as many key roads as possible within the state, we have never laid claims to fixing all the roads requiring attention in the state within the past 3 years. Yet it is undeniable that we have completed work on 67 roads and are working at more than 94 other road project sites across the state.
As our resource base expectedly improve, we will certainly do much more while also ensuring that we meet other needs of our people who have continued to support the Ikpeazu administration through various means.
Thank you.
Chief John Okiyi Kalu
Honorable Commissioner For Information, Abia State
