APGA chieftain pleads for FG’s intervention on dilapidated Onitsha-Owerri Expressway

An All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftain in Anambra, Chief Edwin Ukorah, has appealed to the Federal Government to fix the dilapidated Ozubulu/Oba portion of the Onitsha/Owerri Expressway. Ukorah made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Awka. According to him, gully erosion has cut off one section of the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, near Rojenny Tourist Centre, Oba. Also deserving urgent attention, he said, included two spots at Ozubulu (in front of Ozubulu Boys Secondary School and in front of Sea Horse Lubricant Company). Ukorah, who is the APGA Chairman, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, said the condition of the road posed serious threat to road users. He said: “The Onitsha-Owerri Expressway is a very important road, linking most states in the southern part with the south-west and the northern part. “With the gully erosion in some sections of the highway poses serious danger to motorists and other road users. “We appeal to President Bola Tinubu to direct the Federal Road Maintenance Agency or Federal Ministry of Works to urgently repair the spots to save the lives of innocent Nigerians, who ply the road.” Ukorah said that although stakeholders from his locality had drawn the attention of the State Government to the gully, his appeal to Tinubu was due to the magnitude of the problem. He also called on Anambra youths to embrace the “One youth, two skills programme” of Gov. Charles Soludo. He said that the programme had the potential to reduce youth unemployment and crime. He said that no fewer than 300 Ekwusigo youths, who were trained in various vocational skills, would be empowered soon to enable them to establish their businesses. Ukorah commended Soludo for initiating programmes that help to allievate the sufferings of the masses since the removal of the fuel subsidy. “Before the Federal Government came up with the palliative as a result of fuel subsidy removal, Soludo had started reducing taxes for business owners in the state. “He has construted more than 360 kilometers of road, in addition to three major roads in Ekwusigo. “He has also purchased more buses for the state-owned transport company to make life more meaningful for our people,” he said. He, therefore, appealed to the people, especially the business community, to continue to support the present administration to do better.