FIC Report (Abia State) – The Abia State Government has encouraged the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, (RAAMP) to give the State rural quality roads it deserves.
This statement was made by Gov Otti through his Deputy Engineer Ikechukwu Emetu while addressing representatives of RAAMP that he received in audience in his office at the Government House, Umuahia. Dr Alex Otti, who was unavoidably absent pointed out that the road projects his administration has embarked upon are of standard and would like RAAMP to replicate the same in all their projects in the State.
His Excellency expressed Abia state government administration’s readiness to partner with RAAMP and the World Bank to have road projects properly done in the State.
“When we talk about building roads, the Southern part of Nigeria happens to be a rainforest unlike the North, where their soil formation is very solid and not much rain. So, using laterite without a stone base to build a road is just like making a mockery of the whole thing.
“Abia State would like to boast of the good job done by RAAMP. Abia would like to have the first RAAMP road that will stand the taste of time”.
He emphasized on the readiness of Abia state government to have a handshake with RAAMP and world bank inorder to make sure that a road Abians will ply and will stand a taste of time will be worked out.
Earlier in her address, the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Felix, stated the main reason of the meeting is to discuss further how to improve on the specification of Abia RAAMP in order to achieve the desire of the present administration in the State to have durable and sustainable roads so that successive administrations will channel their resources to other developmental projects and not revisit the roads done.
She pointed out that Gov. Otti’s administration has built over 100 roads and has rehabilitated and reconstructed most roads through the Ministry of Works which are all aimed at providing accessible and durable roads for Abians.
Ngozi Felix requested for technical review of the RAAMP road specification from the Engineers inoder to ensure that the right thing is done.
Speaking also, the State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Otumchere Oti, harped on the need for RAAMP road projects to meet the laid down specifications and standards of the state, maintaining that anything short of that, amounts to waste of resources.
Oti said, “We have specifications for rural roads which are domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Works and that is the standard we are using. I regret to say that the specification for RAAMP road will not meet the minimum standard required for our rural roads”.
In response to the pleas of Abia State Government for RAAMP to build quality and durable rural roads in Abia, Mr Emmanuel Agu, one the representatives declared that RAAMP is ever ready to work hand in hand with ABSG to work out a workable template that will give them their desire of having roads that will stand a test of time.
Some notable individuals who in attendance in the meeting who gave their professional advice and stated some undisputed technical engineering facts included RAAMP National Coordinator Engineer Hassan Aliyu, RAAMP state coordinator Engineer Chibuihe, road consultants and many more.
Signed
Amah ijeoma.
FIC Deputy Governor’s office correspondent
