Soludo building one-city state road network — Commissioner

The Anambra government says it is adopting a holistic approach in the construction of road infrastructure in the state.

Mr Ifeanyi Okoma, the Commissioner for Works, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka..

Okoma said the government had awarded contract for a total of 148 kilometres of road with no special consideration for rural, semi-urban or urban status.

He said the contractors had been mobilised up to 50 per cent and would proceed to their various sites as soon as the rains are over.

He said the designs of the roads were of high quality and that the contractors would guarantee them for 20 years.

Okoma regretted that the ongoing flood had impeded the progress of work on the urban renewal project around Onitsha and Ogbaru areas, which had been largely submerged by flood.

“We are barely seven months in office and so far we have awarded contact for about 148 kilometres of road across the state, and the contractors have been substantially mobilized by about 50 percent, which has not happened recently.

“We believe that in six months’ time, we must have started seeing the effects.

“Again, flood is another challenge, seven out 21 Local Government Areas are affected and you cannot build where there is flood,” he said.

Okoma said the governor is doing a lot in the face of paucity of funds, which affected federal allocation from Abuja.

He said whatever fund is available will be distributed evenly to connect communities, especially those that had no tarred roads or had been cut off.