Abia State Government has disclosed its intention to complete the ongoing six-lane Abia-Port Harcourt Road project embarked by the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu led administration before May 2023.
The State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu who made the disclosure said although work on the road stopped due to the Ndiegoro flood mediation project which intersected the Port Harcourt Road from the Uratta axis handled by NEWMAP, the government has however promised to make at least one lane asphalted for use before the end of this year.
Okiyi also debunked claims of an alleged mismanagement of $56m facility for the project, stating that such accusations were fictitious and did not hold an iota of truth as the state government did not have direct access to a World Bank facility for projects it is executing in the state.
“There is absolutely no truth in the allegation of mismanagement of any $56m provided for Port Harcourt Road project as no such money exists for that purpose. Instead, the funds being used for World Bank projects in the state are released to contractors only after authorization by the bank via a letter to the bank managing the project account”
He went on to reveal that the government was devising an alternative route to evacuate the refuse heap at the Crystal Park junction of the road, an exercise which would also aid the re-commencement of work on the road.
