The Immediate Past Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports in Ebonyi state, Hon. Charles Akpu-Enika has commended the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi for his quick intervention to check the gridlocks on federal roads during this yuletide.
There have been complaints among motorists especially on the Abuja--Lokoja highway of excruciating gridlock caused by on-going construction work on the road,.
The situation according to the passengers, keep them for long, agonising hours on the road and make them travel late to their destinations.
Akpu-Enika however in an, interview said in an interview on Sunday, that the minister's intervention has reduced the inconveniences experienced by passengers in line with President Bola Tinubu's agenda to make life easy for Nigerians.
"Most of those roads were abandoned in the past but were re-commemced by the Tinubu's administration and many are in advanced stages of completion.
"The Minister has put several palliative measures to ameliorate the inconveniences and this include creating necessary diversions and puting pressures on contractors handling the roads to upp their ante,.
"Recent testimonies attest to the efficacy of these palliative measures and one cannot rule out the rush factor associated with travelling during the yuletide.
"The federal government through its relevant authorities to take drastic actions against heavy duty vehicles which park along the roads as they obstruct traffic and cause gridlock.
"The former commissioner said Nigerians are apparently impressed with the standard of work on federal roads roads, a testament of Umahi's ingenuity in practicalising President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda in the area of road infrastructure.
"In the south east zone for instance, the Enugu- Onitsha and the Enugu--Port Harcourt federal highways stand out;, these are roads that were hitherto in deplorable situations.
"The condition of the roads have resulted in the loss of lives hindering economic activities that it was supposed to enhance.
"Successive administrations tried but failed to remedy the situation and the people of the south east stringently agitated for their reconstruction.
"The roads at a point became the stand-point of agitation on marginalisation of the South East as it serves as the connecting link between it, the south south, south west and northern parts of the country."
"President Tinubu however, took the gauntlet by reconstructing the road and practically showed that he is indeed a friend of the Igbos."
He noted that the magnificent work on the third mainland bridge Lagos, the Lagos--Calabar coastal highway, East West Road, Benin By-pass among others has not gone unnoticed by Nigerians of which kudos should go to President Tinubu.
"The president's confidence and belief in Umahi has paid off as the professor of infrastructure has shown the world that the wonders he wrought in Ebonyi as governor, was no fluke."
Akpu-Enika urged Nigerians to continue supporting President Tinubu and believe that he came to right age-long wrongs.
