Anambra releases N15.9b to construct Onitsha -Aguleri dual carriage way

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By Madu Obi

The Anambra State government has released the sum of N15.96 billion for the dualization of the dilapidated Onitsha 33 - Aguleri road in Anambra North senatorial zone of the state. The approval was announced during the state executive council meeting held at the Government House, Awka.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, while announcing details of the council's meeting, said the new dual carriage way is aimed at decongesting traffic in the Onitsha and Nkwelle axis and drive development in that direction.

According to the Commissioner, the award of the contract is in line with the Governor Chukwuma Soludo's deliberate policy to dualize all trunk 'A’ roads, whether state or federal, so as to further open up the state and ease up Onitsha and its environs.

Mefor said that the council also released the sum of N56.39 million for the supply and installation of 500 kVA, 33/0.415 kV transformer at Irueyim Community, Nteje in Oyi local government area.

Similarly, the council released the sum of N159.59 million for the supply and installation of solar street lights along the Oye Market Road, Isuofia in Aguata local government area, while N497 million was approved for the reclamation, re-channelisation and remediation of the gully erosion site at Umugama-Ire Village, Abba, Njikoka local government area.

Other decisions of the council include the establishment of a committee to determine the best way to give Nnewi a further facelift, in line with the ongoing urban regeneration policy of the Soludo administration, as well as the firming up the plan to give Nnobi in Idemili South local government area a further facelift.

It mandated the Ministry of Environment and the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, also known as the OCHA Brigade, to commence enforcement of standards for road setbacks in the newly constructed dual carriage ways across the state.

"These standards have been set at 1.5 metres for built-up areas and three metres for other areas. The setbacks were re-established as a minimum from drainage on all the new dual carriage ways for motorized and non motorized users.

These setbacks from the dual carriageway align with global best practices, which include provisions for pedestrian walkways and other road provisions for pedestrians", the Commissioner said.

Mefor added that the state executive council relished the Christmas and New Year celebrations and reiterated that the festive programme has come to stay as an annual event, adding that it will be made into something that Anambra people and the world will look forward to every yuletide.

"The council also reviewed the state of security in the state and the restoration of Anambra as the most secure state in Nigeria, and resolved to continue to promote inter-security agency collaboration and the strengthening of security agencies, such as the 30 Hilux vehicles recently given to the Anambra State Police Command by the state government", Mefor concluded.