UMUAHIA, NIGERIA — Former federal lawmaker and Member representing the Southeast at the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Chief Samuel Onuigbo, has knocked Mr. Monday Ubani (SAN) over what he described as “misleading” claims regarding the origin and execution of the Umuahia–Ikwuano–Ikot Ekpene federal road project .
In a strongly worded response, Onuigbo insisted that attempts to rewrite the history of the project are futile, as records show the road reconstruction began in 2016 through his legislative intervention, long before the current administration’s recent flag-off .
Onuigbo, who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023, recounted that on May 26, 2016, he raised a motion on the floor of the House drawing federal attention to the deplorable state of the highway . Following that motion, he engaged with the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, leading to emergency palliative repairs by FERMA later that year .
On December 16, 2016, the first official rehabilitation intervention was flagged off at Okweukwu in Oboro, Ikwuano LGA, in an event organized by Onuigbo and attended by Senator Theodore Orji . In 2019, the Federal Government under Muhammadu Buhari awarded a major reconstruction contract for the entire 49-kilometre stretch to Hartland Nigeria Limited and Raycon & Company Nigeria Limited .
Documentary Evidence Shatters False Claims
The statement credited to Promise Uzoma Okoro titled “Findings from official documents and project history indicate that it may be politically inaccurate to credit Hon. Sam Onuigbo with the ongoing reconstruction of the Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road” collapses under the weight of documentary evidence, Onuigbo’s camp has insisted .
Official records from the Federal Ministry of Works tell a very different story from the revisionist narratives, showing sustained and documented intervention by Onuigbo that triggered the federal response to the collapsed road .
A letter dated 15 June 2016 from the Coordinating Director of Highways in the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing confirms this. The ministry acknowledged a meeting held on 14 June 2016 between Onuigbo and then Minister Babatunde Fashola. The ministry stated clearly that the purpose of the meeting was for Onuigbo to “draw the attention of the Honourable Minister to the deplorable condition of the road with the attendant colossal economic loss to the nation” .
The letter further recorded that Onuigbo presented photographic evidence of trucks trapped on the road and requested urgent federal intervention. In response, Fashola thanked Onuigbo for the visit and commended him for having the interest of his constituents at heart. He directed the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to begin immediate repairs while preparations were made for full reconstruction .
Sustained Advocacy Over Eight Years
On 4 August 2016, Onuigbo wrote back to the minister acknowledging the directive and urging that the road be captured in the 2017 federal budget for total reconstruction because of its national economic importance .
His interventions did not end there. On 25 July 2017, he again wrote the minister requesting approval for the award of the road for total reconstruction after design and cost estimates had been completed .
By November 2019, Onuigbo returned to the minister again, acknowledging that the contract for total reconstruction had been awarded in May 2019 to Messrs Hartland Nigeria Limited and Raycon Nigeria Limited. His appeal then was for urgent palliative intervention because large sections had again become impassable .
In March 2021, Onuigbo again met the minister and followed up with a letter dated 12 March 2021, drawing attention to contractors’ complaints about unpaid certificates and attaching evidence from the 2021 Appropriation Act showing that funds had been provided for the road .
Two months later, on 20 May 2021, he wrote again urging the minister to compel the contractor to return to site, stating that the continued absence of the contractor had triggered public frustration despite his efforts .
Recognition from the Ministry
In response to Onuigbo’s letter dated 27 September 2021 requesting that the project be transferred to special funding platforms like SUKUK or NNPC Tax Credit Scheme, the Director of Highways Construction and Rehabilitation, in a letter dated 24 November 2021, commended Onuigbo for his commitment to ensuring that his constituency benefitted from federal infrastructure programmes .
The ministry explained that progress had slowed because of funding constraints and noted that the project had been approved for financing through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Road Tax Credit Scheme in accordance with Executive Order 007 of 2019 .
Federal Ownership and Phase Restructuring
Earlier records from the Federal Ministry of Works during Fashola’s tenure consistently described the road as a federal highway project stretching about 49 kilometres. By the time discussions about state intervention began, available reports indicated that approximately 24.5 kilometres had already been reconstructed, leaving about 25 kilometres outstanding .
The Controller of Works in Abia State, Chidi Uwaeziozi, confirmed in a live interview that the Federal Government had restructured the contract into Phase One and Phase Two, with the original contractor, Hartland Construction Company, still completing a small remaining portion under the federal phase while the state government handles the continuation of the remaining stretch .
Community Feedback
Meanwhile, residents of Okwe Ukwu in Ikwuano LGA have appealed for speed breakers along the newly constructed section of the road, noting that motorists now drive at speeds of up to 160 km/h due to the quality of the road surface .
“The same place contains street lights. Most times, due to the brightness, motorists enjoy the road and sometimes forget to turn on their vehicle lights. The street lights also serve as security within the community,” a resident disclosed .
Onuigbo’s Final Word
Onuigbo expressed disappointment that despite these verifiable facts, individuals continue to peddle narratives that undermine years of advocacy and legislative work that attracted federal attention and funding to the project .
“The records are there for everyone to see. I raised the motion in 2016, engaged the minister, and ensured the project was captured in federal budgets. To now claim this is a new project initiated by anyone else is not only false but a disservice to those who worked tirelessly to make it happen,” Onuigbo stated .
He urged stakeholders to focus on ensuring the timely completion of the remaining sections rather than engaging in what he termed “historical revisionism” .
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