Over abandoned projects, a lawmaker threatens the Abia government with legal action.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The Abia State Government has been threatened with legal action by the member of parliament for Aba South state constituency, Hon. Obinna Ichita, due to the persistence of abandoned projects in his district.

In a news release, the member who issued the threat claimed that the State Government had not demonstrated any reason to believe that it could be relied upon to carry out the contracts it had given.

In response to a recent announcement by the State Government that contracts for State Intervention projects had been awarded, Hon. Ichita said that no similar projects awarded in the past had ever been carried out and that it would be hard to believe that the most recent ones would be completed in less than 10 months from the end of the current administration.

Ichita stated that “Abia people cannot fall for such a tired diversionary ploy” and that “the claimed award of contract for state intervention projects is sheer deceit and a tremendous insult on the collective intelligence of Abia people.”

APGA Leader and deputy governorship candidate, who listed a number of projects that the current administration had previously awarded but not completed, claimed that Abians had already made up their minds to install a more accountable and responsive government in 2023.

In his own words: “The Abia State Government granted the building of the Ozuoma and Ohazu highways, but the project has been shelved as of this writing. The Aba road development projects have been awarded, according to the Abia State Government. The government demolished peoples’ homes and commercial spaces. Sadly, the initiatives have been abandoned up to this point. Despite their economic and geopolitical importance to the state, Port Harcourt and Uratta roads are the worst affected.

The beginning of Enyimba Economic City was proclaimed by the government of Abia State. Not only has the government given up on the project, but there is no official presence at all in Ukwa land, where the project is being carried out. Due to poor roads, they are practically shut off from the rest of Abia.

The medical city project and the Ntigha Dry Port project, both announced by the Abia State government, have been shelved and ignored.

The senator also criticized the state government for failing to restore some markets in Aba more than a year after demolishing the previous buildings and displacing vendors.

The Abia State administration declared on May 27, 2021, that they would demolish and rebuild a certain line of booths at Ahia Ohurur Market Aba South within six weeks. Even after more than a year, that project is still unfinished. The Government is indifferent to the misery of the traders.

“In Ariaria Market, the Abia State Government destroyed people’s sources of income along the A Line and C Line. It stated that the construction would be finished no later than December 5, 2021. The work was not finished, as usual. August 2022 has passed and the project is still unfinished. In fact, the neighborhood is so deserted that a flood has engulfed it.

He also criticized the government for abandoning certain important road projects in Aba after construction had begun on them, leaving them in worse shape.

When the government of the Abia State announced the awarding of contracts for the Ifeobara flood project (off Faulks Road), it immediately abandoned the project after receiving the loan for it.

He claimed that Abians would find it difficult to trust the State Government again for breaking its pledge to implement a unique intervention project to mitigate the damaging environmental effects of the Osisioma fire calamity.

He claimed that in addition to abandoning the fraudulent project, the government had also refused to fulfill its promises to the disaster’s victims.

He claimed that the government’s presumption that “the mere mention of award of contract would force the people of Abia to suspend their intelligence and applaud for this Government, speaks of how cheaply the Government thinks of the people” shows how badly the government views its constituents.

The senator charged that the government was exploiting contract awards as a cynical political ploy.

It is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to divert the public’s attention from pressing inquiries concerning the location of the money borrowed from banks for various construction projects and the reasons behind Aba’s conversion of public schools into commercial markets.

“Our folks have through so much suffering.
After consulting with the proper higher individuals and authorities, we might be forced to file a lawsuit against the Abia State Government.

When contacted, Chief Okiyi Kalu, the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, stated that one of the three blocks demolished at Ahia Ohuru had already been delivered by the government, and that work was continuing to deliver Ariaria Market.

“We are actively rebuilding the markets,” he said. “In Ahia Ohuru (Ngwa Road Market), one block out of three has already been delivered, and the other two are nearing completion.

The decking level has also been exceeded in three blocks in Ariaria Market, and we plan to deliver as soon as feasible.

“The selected developers for certain projects encountered finance issues that caused the projects to be delayed, but we have assisted them to guarantee that they deliver as soon as feasible. The sites continue to be in use.

We made sure to seamlessly move traders in the affected blocks within the same market, thus it’s crucial to note that full trading activities are still occurring in those marketplaces.

In Ahia Ohuru (Ngwa Road Market), only around three of the 57 lines are now being rebuilt, while in ARIARIA, only about 5% of the overall market space is being rebuilt, with impacted vendors moving within the market.

“To prevent income loss for the traders and to make sure that displaced dealers are accommodated inside the market, the government phased the work.

Permit me to add that the flood photos published by the same politician and his hired guns in relation to ARIARIA were shot inside the project area.

We are currently draining out the water to allow the project to go without interruption, however the project area is not where trade is currently taking place.

It is regrettable that an elected official of the public is involved in sabotage and even organizing demonstrations against the government over a current issue.

The Commissioner added that the MP lacked justification for criticizing the government and tasked him with repairing some of the roads in his district.

“Unfortunately, the aforementioned lawmakers have never built anything, therefore he won’t be able to comprehend that there are frequently unforeseen difficulties that can cause a project to take longer than expected to complete.”