Traders and former residents of the Portharcourt Road in Aba, Abia state, are returning in droves to the road even before its official commissioning by the Abia state government.
The Portharcourt road, which was once in a sorry state, is one of the roads totally revamped and rehabilitated by the Otti administration and is now attracting commerce before its official opening.
Construction Giants Julius Berger rehabilitated the 6 to 7km Federal government road over an 18-month period with a total project cost believed to be around the N30 Billion range. The project scope extends beyond rehabilitation and also includes implementing a flood control mechanism, a much-needed feature for the flood-prone Uratta, Ohabiam, and Ndiegoro axis.
The road has experienced the most returnees around the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. Petty traders and transport men expressed their optimism on the road’s contribution to the growth of the Abia state economy when fully commissioned.
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An Okada rider, Innocent Okwe, praised the governor for contracting Julius Berger to handle the project.
“Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, is our number one citizen in this country. For over 28 years, we have been patrolling around this area, and none of the past governors bothered to make this road look like this. Now, within a few months, our governor has done this for us.
“You see this Port Harcourt Road before, it was like the River Niger on one side and River Benue on the other. Now, our governor has transformed the road, and everywhere looks like an express road. Take a look at the roundabout that has been put here.”Okwe said.
He added that the once-flooded road, which was like the two biggest rivers in Nigeria, is now motorable and very accessible, courtesy of the governor.
New Lease of Life
The Port Harcourt road in Aba was once a ghost town due to its dilapidated nature. Traders and Transport men avoided the route due to this, leading to a sharp drop in commercial activity along the axis. The situation is different at the moment following the rehabilitation of the road, which now attracts traders and people from all walks of life.
The Alex Otti administration kick-started a massive road infrastructure building campaign in the early days of its administration. Abia State, which was notorious for bad roads and polluted streets, wore a new look, gaining a lot of support and appraisal for Alex Otti from his political base and Nigerians as a whole.
