The immediate past Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports in Ebonyi State, Hon. Charles Akpu-Enika, has commended the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for his swift intervention to ease gridlocks on major federal roads during the yuletide season.
There had been widespread complaints from motorists, particularly on the Abuja–Lokoja highway, over severe traffic congestion caused by ongoing construction works.
Passengers lamented that the gridlock subjected them to long, agonising hours on the road, often resulting in late arrivals at their destinations.
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Akpu-Enika said the minister’s timely intervention had significantly reduced the inconveniences experienced by travellers, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to making life easier for Nigerians.
“Most of these roads were abandoned in the past but were recommenced under the Tinubu administration, with many now at advanced stages of completion,” he said.
According to him, the Minister of Works introduced several palliative measures to ameliorate the situation, including the creation of necessary diversions and increased pressure on contractors to accelerate their work.
“Recent testimonies from road users attest to the effectiveness of these measures, although one cannot rule out the rush associated with yuletide travels,” Akpu-Enika noted.
He also urged the Federal Government, through relevant agencies, to take drastic action against heavy-duty vehicles that indiscriminately park along highways, obstruct traffic, and worsen gridlocks.
Akpu-Enika stated that Nigerians were impressed by the quality and standard of work on federal roads, describing it as a testament to Umahi’s ingenuity in implementing President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in road infrastructure.
“In the South-East, for instance, the Enugu–Onitsha and Enugu–Port Harcourt federal highways stand out. These roads were hitherto in deplorable conditions,” he said.
He added that the poor state of the roads had previously led to loss of lives and hampered economic activities meant to be enhanced by them.
“Successive administrations made attempts but failed to remedy the situation, leading to sustained agitation by the people of the South-East. At a point, these roads became symbols of alleged marginalisation, as they serve as vital links between the South-East, South-South, South-West, and the northern parts of the country.”
According to him, President Tinubu took the bull by the horns by reconstructing the roads, demonstrating that he is indeed a friend of the Igbo people.
Akpu-Enika further noted that ongoing projects such as the Third Mainland Bridge rehabilitation in Lagos, the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the East-West Road, and the Benin Bypass had not gone unnoticed by Nigerians.
“The President’s confidence in Umahi has paid off. The ‘professor of infrastructure’ has shown that the remarkable work he did as governor of Ebonyi State was no fluke,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to continue supporting President Tinubu, expressing confidence that the administration was committed to correcting long-standing infrastructural deficits across the country.
