The Global Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the apex Igbo socio‑cultural organisation, has called on Nigeria’s Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate and reconstruct the Owerri‑Aba Expressway. The appeal, signed by Deputy President General Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Acting Secretary General Prof. Chibuikeya Achoakawa, targets President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Works, led by Senator David Umahi.
While commending President Tinubu and Minister Umahi for their ongoing intervention on the First Niger Bridge and other federal road projects, Ohanaeze warned that the deteriorating condition of sections of the Owerri‑Aba corridor has become a major concern for motorists, transport operators, traders, manufacturers and other road users.
The organisation highlighted the corridor’s economic significance, noting that it links Owerri – a key administrative, business and transportation centre – with Aba, a major commercial and manufacturing hub in Nigeria’s South‑East. The highway facilitates the movement of manufactured goods, agricultural produce and passengers, supporting inter‑city trade, small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises, industrial activity, tourism, hospitality and daily commuting.
Ohanaeze urged Minister Umahi to conduct an on‑the‑spot inspection of the expressway and to identify sections that require emergency repairs, comprehensive rehabilitation, drainage correction, pavement reconstruction and other safety measures. The group stressed that it is not seeking preferential treatment but proportional attention to a strategic federal highway with significant economic importance.
“The First Niger Bridge has shown what urgency can achieve; Owerri‑Aba should now receive the same urgency.”
Referencing the First Niger Bridge’s recent emergency rehabilitation – closed on 7 September after vandalised structural components were discovered and slated to reopen after accelerated repairs – Ohanaeze argued that prompt technical assessment, proper supervision and prioritisation of public safety can be replicated on the Owerri‑Aba Expressway. The organisation called for a shift from ad‑hoc emergency fixes to regular preventive maintenance of critical infrastructure across the South‑East and pledged to continue monitoring government actions on such projects.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
