Ohanaeze Seeks Urgent Federal Repairs of Owerri-Aba Highway

The Global Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate and reconstruct the Owerri-Aba Expressway, citing the road’s importance to economic activities in the South-East.

The organisation made the appeal in a statement signed by its Deputy President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Acting Secretary General, Prof. Chibuikeya Achoakawa.

Ohanaeze commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for the ongoing intervention on the First Niger Bridge but urged the Federal Government to extend similar urgency to the Owerri-Aba corridor.

According to the group, the expressway links Owerri, a major administrative and commercial centre, with Aba, one of the region’s key manufacturing and trading hubs.

It said the highway supports the movement of passengers, agricultural products and manufactured goods while facilitating commercial activities, industrial operations and inter-city transportation.

Ohanaeze noted that the deteriorating condition of parts of the road had increased travel time, vehicle maintenance expenses and transportation costs, while also creating safety concerns for motorists and other road users.

The organisation therefore appealed to Umahi to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the expressway to identify areas requiring immediate repairs, drainage works, pavement reconstruction and broader rehabilitation.

It stressed that its request was not for preferential treatment for the South-East, but for appropriate attention to a strategic federal highway with significant economic value.

Ohanaeze also urged the Federal Government to adopt a preventive maintenance approach to major infrastructure rather than waiting until roads and other critical facilities deteriorate into emergencies.

The group said the Federal Government’s response to the First Niger Bridge demonstrated the impact of timely intervention and called for similar action on the Owerri-Aba Expressway.

Ohanaeze maintained that restoring the highway would improve road safety, reduce transportation difficulties and strengthen economic activities along the Owerri-Aba axis.