Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has been urged to consider constructing infrastructures as the Ekwulobia Flyover in Nnewi, the industrial city of the state.
A former banker, Chief Eusebius Onyemelukwe, made the call after paying a visit to the project on an on-the-spot assessment of the bridge. He said the facility would assist in boosting commerce and industry potential of Nnewi town.
Onyemelukwe, a chieftaincy title holder from Igbo-Ukwu in Aguata Council Area of the state, expressed confidence that the construction of the flyover would usher in the unprecedented economic transformation of the Old Aguata Region.
Many had criticised the Ekwulobia Flyover bridge as a misplacement of priority, considering the huge amount of money the project is gulping from the state coffers, while some had argued that the import of the project would have been maximised, had it been sited in other developed parts of the state.
But Onyemelukwe described the location of the project as both strategic and deliberate, insisting that the flyover would pave way for the economic turnaround of not just Ekwulobia, but also neighbouring communities in the Old Aguata Union, OAU, Anambra South Senatorial Zone as well as nearby states of Imo and Abia.
“The perennial gridlock that usually characterises the Ekwulobia roundabout, causing untold hardship to motorists during festive periods, will now be a thing of the past, while the aesthetics of the entire area will be unleashed,” he stated.
Acknowledging the multiplier effect the project would have on the value of properties within the area, including boosting the economy of the area, Onyemelukwe said the development from the project would discourage rural-urban migration.
He made a case for the replication of such project in Nnewi, due to its capacity for commerce and industry, saying such project coming up at Nnewi will change the face of economic activities in the town.
“This is a well-thought-out initiative from the Anambra State Government, because it has so much benefits, not just for people of Ekwulobia, but also for people of Anambra South Senatorial zone and Ndi Anambra in general.
“I am particular about the sufferings of the people of this area during festive periods due to massive gridlock. Many of our people who travelled all the way from abroad, Lagos, Abuja and other places, get stuck here for hours due to the challenge.
“If this flyover is completed, it will make for smooth transportation of humans and goods, because parts of Aguata such as Nkpologwu, Amesi, Achina, Uga and other areas are very good in palm oil production.
“Also, this project, which is the type you find in very developed cities, will help de-emphasise the rural-urban drift, that has left the rural places in dire need of professionals across various fields. With these kinds of things, health workers, teachers and other professionals will have no difficulty coming or even living here,” he posited.
Speaking on his reason for visiting the project, Onyemelukwe said it is the responsibility of citizens to always monitor government projects in their communities, to ensure that they are executed in a manner that will benefit them.
He regretted that the people have been so excluded from government business for so long, resulting in the formation and execution of projects that have no single bearing on their welfare.
