Awka — Anambra State government said, yesterday, that it spent more than N80 billion on the construction of 700 kilometres of roads across the state in the last seven years.
The Commissioner for Works, Mr. Callistus Ilozumba, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Awka that the feat was recorded under Gov. Peter Obi’s administration.
Ilozumba said that the administration had undertaken the construction of more than 20 bridges within the period under review.
He said that the bridges included the three along Atani-Ozubulu Road, which cost about N4 billion.
Ilozumba said that the total distance and cost of the road projects covered some ongoing projects which, he assured, would all be completed before the end of the current administration.
“Gov. Peter Obi’s administration is responsible. It does not award contract for the sake of doing so without completing it.
“For every road project we flag-off, the money has already been made available,” Ilozumba said.
The commissioner said that the state government was currently negotiating for small mobile asphalt plants to assist the Anambra Road Maintenance Agency, ARMA, maintain the roads effectively.
“The government is also working round the clock to establish a laboratory where materials would be tested to ensure high quality of road projects,” Ilozumba said.
According to him, the governor has demonstrated that prudent management of scarce resources could produce tangible achievements without borrowing.
“In the past, there were a number of donor agencies in the state, who left for one reason or the other.
“But when they found out that there was reasonable transparency in Obi’s administration they came back,” he said.
Ilozumba said that the state government was still awaiting Federal Government’s approval to re-construct the Amansea-Amawbia and the Enugu-Onitshah express ways.
This, he said, was to give Awka, the state capital, a worthy status, as well as open up the state for more investment drive.
The Commissioner for Works, Mr. Callistus Ilozumba, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Awka that the feat was recorded under Gov. Peter Obi’s administration.
Ilozumba said that the administration had undertaken the construction of more than 20 bridges within the period under review.
He said that the bridges included the three along Atani-Ozubulu Road, which cost about N4 billion.
Ilozumba said that the total distance and cost of the road projects covered some ongoing projects which, he assured, would all be completed before the end of the current administration.
“Gov. Peter Obi’s administration is responsible. It does not award contract for the sake of doing so without completing it.
“For every road project we flag-off, the money has already been made available,” Ilozumba said.
The commissioner said that the state government was currently negotiating for small mobile asphalt plants to assist the Anambra Road Maintenance Agency, ARMA, maintain the roads effectively.
“The government is also working round the clock to establish a laboratory where materials would be tested to ensure high quality of road projects,” Ilozumba said.
According to him, the governor has demonstrated that prudent management of scarce resources could produce tangible achievements without borrowing.
“In the past, there were a number of donor agencies in the state, who left for one reason or the other.
“But when they found out that there was reasonable transparency in Obi’s administration they came back,” he said.
Ilozumba said that the state government was still awaiting Federal Government’s approval to re-construct the Amansea-Amawbia and the Enugu-Onitshah express ways.
This, he said, was to give Awka, the state capital, a worthy status, as well as open up the state for more investment drive.
