My attention has been drawn to the very rapid coastal erosion along the shoreline of the Igwu River by the dangerous Omenuko Bridge abutting the paved Access Road of F107 at the Ozu Abam Section Arochukwu Local Government Area.

The development arose from the intensity of the rainfalls as witnessed recently leading to the inundation/overflow of the River bank .The Igwu River is the collector basin for all run offs for the entire Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency and beyond.

The emerging scenes from the pictures is disturbing and a serious threat to lives and property particularly the Road users on this busy economic route linking the Northern Part of Abia State to south south states of Akwaibom,Cross Rivers state and an international route to Cameroon and needs urgent mitigation.

In view of the above I have contacted in the interim the Managing Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) under whose purview I have been attracting the maintenance of the said road since 2016 and currently my intervention with the appropriation of over 300mn in the Covid 19 re-ordered budget of 2020 gave rise to the award of the existing contract that it’s scope included the shoreline protection work on this particular spot and from the attached pictorial evidence the job executed falls short of minimum standard.

The FERMA Resident Engineer in Umuahia Abia State has just responded with a promise to urgently visit site for further remedial actions .

I have also communicated and spoken with the Federal Ministry Of Works Officials the Ministery responsible for the delivery of the new Igwu bridge on this life threatening situation.

While thanking the media for bringing to speed the emerging emergency in the meantime I enjoin the road users to drive carefully and exercise patience as I escalate the issue with relevant Federal Executive branch to getting the accelerated attention it deserves .

Thank you.

Ukondukwenkole Fnitp
Member Representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency and the frontline aspirant in the inconclusive PDP Abia North Senatorial Primary Election.

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16/08/2022