Exclusive: We Need Good Roads To Convey Agricultural Produce… Rep. Sam Onuigbo Bemoans Poor Road Network In Constituency, Other Parts

National Assembly member, Rep. Sam Onuigbo, representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency of Abia State has bemoaned the deplorable situation of various road networks in the area, saying good roads are needed to convey products from Calabar to other parts of the country.

Rep. Onuigbo who disclosed that his acronym of EAR: Effectiveness, Accessibility and Responsiveness had impacted positively on his Constituents, since assumption of office, reiterated that providing alternative means of livelihood was an important way of impacting on one’s constituents.

“We need good roads to be able to convey a lot of things coming from Calabar to other parts of the country. I also believe that providing alternative means of livelihood is an important way of impacting on your constituents.”

On whether his representation has been able to impact positively on his Federal Constituency, he said:

“The answer is yes, I have impacted on my Federal Constituency positively. And I will tell you how. When I set out to run for this office in 2013, I set up a think-tank that went with me to over 285 homes in my constituency to engage the leaders, discuss with them, and show them by way of explanation why I am asking for their votes and support. I told them that I was going to run on the acronym of EAR: Effectiveness, Accessibility and Responsiveness. I asked them to vote me and judge me by the meaning of this acronym. Naturally, some of them did not believe me, but there were those who said “let’s give this young man a chance, it looks like he’s bringing a fresh idea into representation.

“I moved further to tell them that after a while in my representation that I was hopeful that I would be able to redefine what representation means. Within the period of four years that I was elected, I was able to impact meaningfully and productively on the wellbeing of my constituents. And that is why today, as we speak, by the special grace of God, I am the very first House of Representatives member that was re-elected in Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State. That was because they saw that what I promised, I delivered. They have also seen that this gentleman’s achievements are not big cars, skyscrapers and luxury hotels. They have seen that I have truly come to represent them. In terms of projects, I have done so many projects. It will be difficult to list all of them for you here, but let me just mention a few. In 2017, I was lucky to have Mr. President send two Ministers on two separate occasions to come and represent him in commissioning two massive erosion control projects that I facilitated in my Federal Constituency.

Continuing, he said: “What is remarkable about it is that at that point in time, I got two out of twenty-five erosion control projects approved for execution in the entire country at that period. However, it must be mentioned that my Federal Constituency is erosion prone. As we speak, we have over 40 active erosion sites in Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency. I have also been able to facilitate a major skills acquisition center–one of the largest in the country—which is domiciled at Apumiri, Ubakala, Umuahia South LGA. And I have by the grace of God facilitated the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a major federal road which is the road from Umuahia to Ikot-Ekpene and that road leads to Calabar and Cameroon. The job is ongoing. I am also working on facilitating a Federal Secretariat for my state. I was able to discuss with the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola during a budget defence session in 2019, and following my presentation and my question on why Abia was not captured as one of the states with a Federal Secretariat, the Minister intervened and I must tell you that we worked on it for one year with the Governor of Abia State, to get allocation of 7 hectares of land for that purpose. I was with the Minister on the 11th of March, 2021 to ascertain the progress made and he informed me that they were still waiting for the Certificate of Occupancy and the Survey Plan from the Abia State government to enable them enter the place. On the strength of that, I wrote to the Governor the following day asking that action be taken. So I am hoping that it will be handled soon. I have also facilitated hospital projects; one is about now to be commissioned at Ahiaeke Oloko, in Ikwuano Local Government Area. I had earlier facilitated another hospital project at Obuohia, in Ikwuano too. That one was a total reconstruction of a hospital that was first built in 1984 but was allowed to become totally dilapidated. The project has been completed and commissioned.

On electricity, he said: “I have also facilitated very many electricity projects. In fact, I commissioned in the month of April, six projects in two days: electricity projects at Ndoro Oboro and Oboni Upah both in Ikwuano and another one at Umuagungolori, Umuahia North; block of classrooms at Umajata Olokoro, and another block of classrooms at Nsirimo, Umuahia South.

“There are so many other projects that we have in so many places that are ongoing while some have been completed. Some of them include school blocks in Ekebedi, in Oboro, Ikwuano LGA; Old Umuahia in Umuahia South LGA; a block of two classrooms at Adanma Girls Secondary School, Afugiri, Umuahia North LGA; a block of two classrooms at Umutowe Central School, Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA; a block of classrooms at Umulu Ibere, Ikwuano LGA (ongoing):a block of three classrooms at Umuajata Central School Olokoro. I have also done two massive water projects in Obunta Oboro Ikwuano LGA, and Inyila Ibere, Ikwuano LGA. Two other ones at Avonkwu Ibeku, Umuahia North, and Obuohia Ibere, Ikwuano LGA.I have also facilitated the construction of the Elemaga-Itunta mini-bridge in Ibere, Ikwuano LGA; construction of an ultra-modern Townhall at Ahiaeke Oloko, Ikwuano Local Government Area; construction of the Obuohia-Nkari bridge which is ongoing.

“I have also facilitated a road that is under construction at Umuecheokwu, Umuovo, Old Umuahia and down to Amakama in Umuahia South LGA. And as I speak with you, I am working on two major projects. One of it is a market; the second one is a road project that will pass from Okwe in Ikwuano LGA, through Obuohia to Nkari in Ini LGA of Akwa Ibom State. When that road is done, it will reduce the journey from Umuahia to Calabar by one hour and you know Calabar is a major port in the country. Calabar also has an Export Processing Zone and major cement manufacturers are located there.

“We need good roads to be able to convey a lot of things coming from Calabar to other parts of the country. I also believe that providing alternative means of livelihood is an important way of impacting on your constituents. In view of that, we have also been able to do the following: training of select women and youths from Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency on fashion designing by the Industrial Trust Fund; training for mechanics in their workshops at Mgbuka, Ohiya Mechanic Village, by the National Automation Council; training of select youths from Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency on Solar Panels installation, POP and painting, and web design by the Industrial Trust Fund; training of select women and youths from Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency on fish farming by the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos; training of 1,500 women and youths from Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency on how to start and manage small businesses by the Border Communities Development Commission.

“This was followed by provision of stipends; training and empowerment of small-holder poultry farmers with galvanized battery cages, bags of feed, Point-of-Lay birds (65 each) and money through the Ministry of Agriculture; training and empowerment of small-holder poultry farmers with galvanized battery cages, bags of feed, Point-of-Lay birds and money through the Federal Co-operative College Oji-River. There are more trainings and empowerment programmes being planned.