GOVERNOR UMAHI SETS TO DUALIZE ABAKALIKI-AFIKPO FEDERAL HIGHWAY.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr.(Dr.) David   Umahi, has announced his administration's  intention to dualise the  Abakaliki-Afikpo and complete  a section of the Abakaliki-Enugu   Expressway   in order to attract trade and investment  to the state.

He also  said  that bridges would  be constructed across  Ndibe Beach in Afikpo  and Oferekpe River in Ikwo Local Government Area  to link the state with Cross River State as a way  of  further  opening up  Ebonyi for commerce and industry.

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Umahi made these known   during the  ground breaking ceremony of an ultra-modern regional market in Afikpo, Afikpo  North Local Government Area on Monday.

The governor directed that the regional market should be  named after one of the  illustrious sons of Afikpo and the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Michael Okoro, for his humility and service .
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He  said,  "  I will dualise the  Abakaliki- Afikpo road and complete the dualisation  of  the Abakaliki- Enugu Highway from EBSU to town . These are federal roads  but we are very ready to complete them.

"I believe we are also  going to put a bridge across Oferekpe and a bridge across   Ndibe Beach.

"On the new market, it shall  be called Bishop Nnachi Okoro Regional Market. He is a  man of peace,  a  man of humility, a real committed man of God and representative of Christ in Ebonyi State."

The  governor also flagged off the construction of the  4.3 kilometer Ngodo- Amangbala- Amaizu road in Afikpo  as part of his  effort to build at least 15 kilometers of roads in each of the  13 LGAs in the state.

  He  directed his  Senior Special Assistant  on Infrastructural Maintenance, Ali Odefa, to start the maintenance of all tarred  urban roads in Afikpo immediately.

 

Umahi said,  "We have started one of the critical roads  in Afikpo. The one that goes to St. Mary's Catholic Church. We have directed that  street light should be started along the same road.  

"I'm  also directing my SSA   on Infrastructure Maintenance to start from  January 2 to maintain all   the  tarred roads in Afikpo. All portholes in Afikpo North must be filled."  
The governor,  who was later given a grand reception at Amuro Mgbom Primary School field where he addressed a mammoth crowd, reaffirmed his determination to transform the area as promised during his electioneering.

 "We said we must give you a befitting market and we've chosen the timber shed area.  Very soon, you will see the hills in the area being made a plain field. You will see the valley being filled.   A befitting regional market shall be there and it  shall  be one of its kind in the whole country," he told the people.

Earlier, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Afikpo North LGA,   Ogbonnaya Oko Enyim, applauded the governor for fulfilling his electioneering promises as well as taking development to all the communities in  the state.