The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to begin rehabilitation work on the Onitsha-Enugu dual carriageway.
The Senate also called on its committee on Works to as a matter of urgency, meet with the Ministry of Works and other relevant agencies to fast-track the framework on concessionary matters so as to encourage private sector to invest or participate in road constructions.
Former Governor of Ebonyi State and Senator representing Ebonyi North, Dr. Sam Egwu while moving the motion, noted that “under normal circumstances, it takes approximately an hour to drive from Onitsha in Anambra State to Enugu, the capital city of old Eastern Region, but at the moment, it takes over five tortuous hours”.
Senator Sam Egwu was particularly worried that “the collapse of this road has virtually cut off the South Eastern States from other parts of the federation, with its attendant negative impact on trade and commerce “.
While seconding the motion, the Senator representing Enugu West and Deputy Senate President, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu observed that “the story of Onitsha-Enugu dual carriageway has changed from being a Federal Road to farmland as people cultivate and harvest their crops on the main road every year”.
Senator Ekweremadu lamented the abandonment of the road by past government which had led to the state of disrepair and advised the federal government to establish a road construction fund in addition to budgetary provisions to handle the construction and rehabilitation of Federal roads across the country.
On his part, the Senator representing Benue North East senatorial district, Engr. Barnabas Gemade said the deplorable states of roads in some parts of the country was a greater concern to him, having served as a Minister in the Federal Ministry of Works and also as Chairman, Senate Committee on Works.
Senator Gemade gave an analogy of a particular federal road in Benue State that had been occupied by swines, disclosing that it takes the driver to come down from the vehicle to chase them off the path before continuing with his journey.
While contributing to the debate, Senator Hope Uzodima (Imo West) raised an alarm over the rate of robbery on the Onitsha-Enugu road and urged the Federal Government to intervene in saving the situation.
The Enugu Onitsha Express way is a major access road to commercial activities in Sout Eastern Nigeria and to other parts of the country, passing through the famous Niger Bridge to the Northern and Western part of the country.
It also links the southern part of the country through Enugu to Ogoja, Calabar, Uyo, Makurdi and other northern States.
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