477km Superhighway Project: Works Minister holds stakeholders’ engagement in Ebonyi
From Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki
The Federal Minister of Works, Engr Senator David Umahi on Wednesday held Stakeholders’ engagement concerning the Federal government’s proposed 477km proposed superhighway legacy project.
The Works Minister also used the occasion to officially unveil the project on behalf of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The legacy road project, according Engr Umahi, traverses Cross River, Southeast -North Central —APO-Abuja Superhighway—spur of Lagos -Port Harcourt—Crossing Enugu State, passing through Ebonyi to Ogoja, in Northern Cross River State.
The Stakeholders’ engagement was held at EXCO chambers, new government House, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.
Engr. Umahi said the African Tran-Saharan highway when completed, would boost the economy of south-east region and Nigeria at large, describing it as economic agricultural viable routes.
He further described the project as a legacy project of Tinubu administration and urged South East and other people of the country to support it to ease the perennial problems being encountered by farmers in the evacuation of agricultural produce.
“Let me on behalf of Mr. President unveil the three legacy projects of Mr. President. Let me emphasize that these legacy projects are not just mere projects.
“It’s an economic agricultural viable routes that will enable Ebonyi State to now bring a lot of their rice within this corridor.
“There is a lot of rice production here, potatoes and yams and there is no road to transport them. So, these is going to help us to bring out our agricultural produce to support Mr. President policy on food sufficiency.So, it’s an agricultural economic corridor, ” he stated.
Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt Hon Bldr Francis Nwifuru in his remarks described the project as a signature project and prayed for its timely completion.
“It is indeed a huge signature project, we pray God it comes to timely fruition; Foster collaboration and partnerships by- identify opportunities for innovation and investment in the project given its associated socioeconomic potentialities. Our people are predominantly agrarians and this wonderful initiative we are going to benefit from will further assist our rural farmers to evacuate their farm produce to viable markets
“This engagement this afternoon— I repeat is predicated on our believe that effective infrastructure development— requires a collective effort from government, private sector, and civil society. This administration is committed to creating an enabling environment for investment and ensuring that our infrastructure meets the needs of our citizens.
“Once again, I thank Mr. President for this wonderful show of love not only to Ebonyi State but to the entire Ndigbo. We are indeed very grateful for a number of Federal projects being executed in our dear State which are in tandem with our resolve to make life easier for the people”, Nwifuru stated.
Our Correspondent reports that Ebonyi State has a total of 101km proposed alignment segment of the 477km legacy road project.
