“Nine Years of Advocacy Yields Results — Onuigbo Hails Progress on Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road”

Rt. Hon. Sam Onuigbo has recounted his nine-year advocacy journey that led to the eventual reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene Federal Road, describing the project as a triumph of “persistence, faith, and partnership.”

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Onuigbo explained that his efforts began on May 26, 2016, when he raised a motion on the floor of the House of Representatives highlighting the deplorable state of the road.

He recalled that following the motion, he personally visited the then Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, a move that prompted the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to commence immediate palliative repairs. The full reconstruction was officially flagged off on December 16, 2016, in collaboration with Senator T.A. Orji.

By 2019, the Federal Government had awarded the contract to Hartland Nigeria Ltd and Raycon & Co. Nigeria Ltd, but the project soon encountered funding setbacks caused by the economic recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Determined to see the road completed, Onuigbo said he wrote to the Ministry of Works in September 2021, requesting that the project be included in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme — a request that was later approved through a Presidential Executive Order.

Onuigbo described President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to transfer the project to the Abia State Government as the fulfillment of years of tireless advocacy.

He said, “The same road once labeled a death trap now stands as a powerful testament to resilience, collaboration, and responsive governance.”