Arochukwu/Ohafia Road: Reviving the prostrate socio-economic life of the people
By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
For over 30 years, residents of over 60 communities in Arochukwu and Ohafia Local Government Area have faced difficult experiences accessing their homeland via the Arochukwu/Ohafia federal road.
All the efforts made by prominent and influential locals and politicians from the area to obtain assistance from the Federal Government have been unsuccessful.
Despite several attempts to reconstruct the road, no significant progress was made, and the road continued to be in a very poor condition.
A new chapter was opened on Thursday, August 29, 2024, when Gov. Alex Otti performed the flag off ceremony for the reconstruction of the 44.1-kilometer road, changing the narrative for the local government area and its people.
The road, which was constructed in the 1960s during the administration of Dr Michael Okpara in the defunct Eastern Region, served as a major route connecting several communities and towns in this part of the region before it eventually collapsed due to decades of neglect.
Successive administrations in the state, including the governments of former Governors Orji Uzor Kalu (1999-2007), Theodore Ahamefula Orji (2007-2015), and Okezie Victor Ikpeazu (2015-2023), had turned the road into a political campaign tool, with promises that were never fulfilled.
The decision to assume control of this important road infrastructure from the Federal Government contractor and reconstruct it for the benefit of all Nigerians who use it daily is evident that Gov. Otti aimed to govern Abia in order to redirect the state’s development path.
Again, this very decision has stood the governor out amongst politicians in the state as one who matches his words with action accompanied with evidence.
Gov. Otti has demonstrated that the key foundation of the Labour Party-led administration is trust, based on the principle of genuine commitment to consistently fulfill the promises made to the people during their campaign for votes, as well as in the daily task of governance.
Going by his penchant for quality and speedy delivery of road projects, the people living and doing business on that corridor will definitely have a new story to tell in the next 18 months when the project is expected to be completed.
In a speech at the ceremony, entitled “Beyond road, a jinx is being broken”, the governor said, “we demonstrated that the age-long cliché ‘na o nweghi uzo e si a ga Aro di nso’”, literally translates to “there is no easy route to Arochukwu’, which has made the road jinxed, is about to give way for an easy route to the ancient town. After all, God the creator gave man the right to have dominion over the earth and subdue it. (Gen 1:26)
“Today, we have come to begin a holistic process that will put an end to this age-old nightmare and give fellow Abians living in the over 60 communities and clans around this corridor, a new lease of life”, Gov. Otti had said with every sense of seriousness.
Indeed, several vistas of opportunities would open up for economic empowerment, trade, investment and industries to thrive with the reconstruction of Arochukwu/Ohafia Road.
It will also create an entire ecosystem of opportunities that cuts across agriculture, commerce, tourism, education, industries and manufacturing.
Like when it was first constructed, the road will once again become a major economic enabler leading to a boom in agriculture, commerce, and tourism as individuals and families come in their numbers to either trade, or visit the many important National Heritage Sites in Arochukwu, including the ‘Osu gwodo gwodo’ Waterfall, the Ibini Ukpabi Shrine (Arochukwu Long juju) and other places of interest for research and leisure.
The growth of the tourism industry in the area, which has encouraged investors to build hotels and parks, will serve as an attraction to other investors to bring their investment to Arochukwu and Ohafia.
Again, just as the governor pointed out in his speech, many private and goverment-owned primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the two Local Government Areas will experience a boom in the student population.
The major beneficiary will be the
the Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu (ASCETA), which has recorded a worrisome decline in its fortune over the years due to challenges with poor access road to the institution.
The challenge hindered the manpower development programme for the education sector because students and teachers interested in continuous development programmes preferred to go elsewhere for their training rather than come to ASCETA.
The road, when completed, will assist ASCETA, like other institutions and businesses around the area, to have a breath of fresh air. Furthermore, public and private schools will now have the motivation to send their teachers to the institution for further training.
Moreover, the road will create new windows of economic opportunities between Abia and the neighbouring Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
Residents of the three states will once again have an easy and regular access to markets, inter-state trading and social relationships as well as providing important agricultural and ancillary services.
One important duty all Abians owe our beloved state is to join hands with the state government to give the construction firm handling the project all the support they need to deliver the road in record time.
The Federal Government should also heed to the governor’s plea to consider making necessary financial provisions to eventually reimburse the state since it has taken the patriotic and unprecedented steps to do what a responsible government should for its citizens.
In the words of the governor, “This appeal is very important considering that this very project will unleash new layers of opportunities that will have significant economic impacts, especially for federal revenue.”
#Gov. Otti is Building the new Abia!
#To God be glory!
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.