Otti reiterates commitment to making Aba investors’ choice

The governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti has assured Abians and residents of the state of the commitment of his administration to ensure that he makes Aba a destination choice for investors.

This is even as Otti who assured that days of mediocrity in governance were gone, said that his aim was to make Aba and Abia truly economic hubs of not just the Southeast, but the country at large.

Otti who was speaking in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state while flagging off of a major deplorable road in Aba; Port Harcourt road, which serves as one of the major entry and exit route from Aba through the Ala Oji axis of Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, which has remained impassible in the last 10 years, stated that his administration was a clear departure of what was obtainable in the state during previous administrations in the state.

The governor who lamented the negative effect the abandonment of Port Harcourt road has caused business owners on the ever-busy 6.7km road, Aba, and the state at large, stated that the choice of a reputable construction giant to reconstruct the road was a deliberate attempt by his government to breathe life to the businesses on the stretch of road that provides technical services to multinational companies in the state, Rivers State and other parts of the country.

Though the governor could not make public the cost of the reconstruction of the road, he however said that the road would be completed in the next 18 months and expected to serve a long span of 20 years.

“I am glad that we are taking yet another step in fulfilling one of our major campaign promises, which is to permanently break the jinx of Port Harcourt road, Aba and to revive the life of economic activities along this corridor; activities that once gave Aba a peculiar advantages starting from the 80 years when the late Sam Mbakwe, Governor of old Imo State constructed this road to feed into the booming oil expansion business in Port Harcourt.

“This road became one of the busiest parts of Aba and a destination for business engineers, government officers, and contractors working for multinationals in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“For about two decades it was all about bliss and blush for businesses around this area until things began to fall apart in the mid to late 1990s followed quickly by the unfortunate collapse and abandonment of the few parts of the road.

“With time, people with businesses and corporate headquarters around the area began to disappear, finding more favourable locations as it became clear that successive administrations didn’t have the will to make the right commitment of rescuing this stretch of road and sustain its economic advantages up till this day.

“We were very careful in choosing the contractor that will handle this project in order to ensure that we don’t repeat the errors and misjudgment of the past for which the state wasted billions of taxpayers’ money without any measurable improvements in the condition of the road for more than 20 years.

“During my campaigns in Aba, I told you that I shall only go for the best because you deserve no less.

“We resisted the temptation to start another trial and error on a road as important as this and decided to accept the engineering design and bill presented to us by possibly the best civil engineer in Nigeria with over 50 years of operational experience and several landmark projects in all parts of the country.

“For us, Port Harcourt Road in Aba is not just any other road, it will be a testament to our willingness and determination to rebuild ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated.

“I will refuse to be drawn into the tragedies and heartbreaks that were associated with previous attempts at fixing this 6.7km road, but would rather invite you to look to the future with great optimism and expectations.

“Certainly the days of mediocrity are over. We are here to rebuild and this flag-off exercise is a definite confirmation that Aba’s days of glory are about to be restored.

“The choice of Julius Berger is to do a holistic job of not just fixing the road but to address the age-long flood problems at notoriously and problematic points, using appropriate technology and expertise and ultimately, see to it, very minimal maintenance at regular intervals.

“This road shall continue to support existing, new, and returning businesses and their activities for at the very least, another twenty years, post-commissioning.

“It is our expectation that on completion, the reconstructed Port Harcourt road will drive the economic recognition of this resilient city and send a clear message to the businesses that had left, that the Elephant is back on its feet, never to stumble again.”

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Julius Berger, Lars Richter, noted that the project was a milestone achievement of Alex Otti’s government.

This is even as he stated that the governor wanted the best for Aba, which was why he chose their company to do the work.

Richter, while thanking the governor for the trust he has for the company, assured that the reconstruction would be done according to the design, stating that he looked forward to a long partnership with the state government.