Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha recently warned contractors handling road projects in Imo State to expedite action and ensure completion of their jobs to avoid disruption by the rains.  He said government will deal ruthlessly with contractors who fail to deliver according to specifications and on time.  The Governor gave the warning while inspecting state road projects at Okigwe town.  His Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Uche Nwosu had some weeks earlier issued similar warnings to contractors handling Government’s Monumental Projects in Owerri.

We commend the present administration for its laudable achievements in construction of imposing edifices at several locations in the major cities of Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe such as the Multi-Million Naira Ultra-modern twin complexes for the Deputy Governor and First Lady’s offices.  Others are: the Ikemba Ojukwu Convention Centre, the Hero’s Square, former legislative Quarters now transformed into an annex of the five-star Imo Concorde Hotel and the Women of Divine Destiny Conference Centre among others.  Governor Rochas Okorocha’s regular and prompt payment of the salaries of public servants, particularly those of teachers is also commendable.

Despite all this, Imolites cannot yet shout “Eldorado”, as it is still necessary to draw government’s attention to certain areas of gross neglect. Lack of vital access roads which adversely affects the economic growth of the state is one of those. Such badly neglected access roads include: the Umuguma-Avu Road, the access road to Site and Services Area of New Owerri and the major access road that leads to the Onitsha Road Industrial Layout.

This major Industrial Layout access road deserves special mention, because it runs from the Owerri-Onitsha Road passing through the Prisons Training School and the Assumpta Press to the Customs Department.  This road which, going by the Owerri Capital City Master Plan was designed as a Dual Carriage Way with telephone lines and other amenities is of the automost economic importance to the development of the State. This all-important road has been cleared on several times by past governments but left to go very bad over the raining season each time.

The state of this road is so bad now that no car can pass through. If government truly recognizes industrialization as the ultimate source of the state’s economic development, no stone should be left unturned in creating the enabling environment for industrialists to gain access to their property and do business.

The crucial questions that arise now include: Why were some of these roads abandoned in the first instance inspite of government’s assurance that all ongoing roads would be completed before the rains set in?  We do not want to believe that some of the roads newly started are receiving needed attention because there are some highly connected individuals who have personal interests in them.  We are convinced that it is in the best interest of the government to go ahead and complete all roads that were started because suspending them and resuming work on them later would sky-rocket their costs.  Moreover, we cannot understand the rational for suspension of ongoing roads, only to embark on new ones.  We recommend that where lack of funds is the problem, part of the huge amounts being spent on the gigantic roundabouts and recreational facilities, should be used to complete such roads.

We therefore call on government to focus on projects that will impact on the lives of the ordinary citizens such as access roads by revisiting the abandoned ones.

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