By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
In the last four years and six months, road infrastructure in Anambra State has undergone a profoundly commendable phase of transformation. At first, the Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, in keeping to his promise of transforming Okpoko into a place suitable for human habitation, has seen Okpoko go through a major renaissance with multiple tarred roads, giving the once biggest slum a facelift that is novel and previously unimaginable. Different parts of Onitsha metropolis have also experienced significant road construction and rehabilitation. The 33 road reconstruction and expansion is only one of such bold road infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Soludo administration in Anambra State.
In Awka, the State capital, internal roads like the Abakaliki road to both ends were reconstructed by the government around its first year in office. The Awka to Isuaniocha road from Unizik Junction was reconstructed and expanded down to Okpuno and to Isuaniocha. Several internal roads in Awka that have failed or were abandoned have been completed by the Soludo’s administration, and they are all in good condition. In Nnewi, for the first time in decades, major roads have been completed and expanded as part of the city regeneration efforts of the government in Nnewi. The Awka-Ekwulobia-Nnewi-Ihiala road is a major landmark road project that has drastically reduced travel time almost by half for commuters.
Governor Soludo’s road infrastructure is so iconic that no other administration before has undertaken such a bold road revolution across the entire state, right from his first day in office exactly four years and six months ago. Beyond construction/reconstruction and rehabilitation of failed roads, Soludo’s administration is introducing road furnishing, which before was completely ignored. Today, roads constructed by Soludo’s government are furnished with functional streetlights, flowers, and pedestrian walkways. Yet, this is not enough. Travelling around Anambra reveals that the state is a massive construction site with substantial, long stretches of road construction ongoing in diverse parts of the state, like from Umunze to Oko dual carriage road. The most striking thing is that the government still has over three years to assert its road infrastructure revolution in Anambra State.
These road projects are roads built for Ndi Anambra and collectively owned by Ndi Anambra. Keeping them in good form to serve Anambra better is a collective duty we owe our state. As the Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, assured, every kobo of Anambra must be dutifully deployed to work for Anambra State. The people must take ownership and give feedback to the government as part of our collective responsibility in ensuring sustainable road infrastructure in Anambra State.
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