To accelerate development in Enugu State, the state government at the weekend approved the sum of N183bn for the construction of 141 roads across Enugu metropolis and 20 rural roads across the three senatorial zones of the state.
It also approved the award of 133 more smart schools in addition to the ongoing 127 smart schools to bring them to 260 or one smart school per political ward.
Briefing newsmen at the end of the executive council meeting, Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, said the projects were in furtherance of Governor Peter Mbah’s determination to grow the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn, achieve a zero percent poverty headcount index, as well as position Enugu State as the premier destination for business, investment, tourism, and living in four to eight years.
“The state’s total budget hovered around N100bn and N120bn with capital expenditure of about N30bn or a capital expenditure to budget ratio of about 25 to 35 percent.
“In keeping with Governor Mbah’s promise to de-risk investments, boost production, and run a lean and prudent government, the governor proposed an unprecedented N521.5bn 2024 budget with a capital expenditure totaling over N400bn, which is an equivalent of capital expenditure to the budget ratio of about 80 percent and a recurrent expenditure ratio of about 20 percent.
“The government is doubling down on infrastructure. If you recall, we started with 71 urban roads and 10 rural roads last year. Now, the governor and the Executive Council have also approved 141 urban roads and 20 rural roads.
“It is noteworthy that although the rural roads are 20 in number, compared to 141 in Enugu metropolis, they are actually more—nearly three times those approved for Enugu urban in terms of kilometres,” he said.
Giving a breakdown of the roads, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Gerald Otiji, listed them to include the dualization of the 41.3km Abakpa Nike-Opi-Nsukka road with bridges, dualization of Penocks Junction – Nike Lake Road to T-Junction Flyover, Nome-Burubu-Nara road with two bridges, Umabi-Ehuhe Achi with a spur to Agbudu-Ihe-Owelli-Ogugu by Enugu-Port Harcourt old road, Nomeh-Oduma road, Mburubu-Nkereffi Road, and Amodu-Akpugo Road.
Also approved were Iheaka-Ibagwa road, Ibagwa-Itchi-Unadu-Alor Agu-Ibeje road, Amagunze-Ihuokpara-Ugbawka road with a bridge, Obeleagu Umana (Nkwo Ezeagu)-Omughu Umana-Aguobu-Umumba road, Nara-Nkerefi road with a bridge, Amagunze-Akpawfu road, Amagu-Attakwu-Akegbe Ugwu-Akpasha Road, Obinagu Udi-Isu Awa road, and Nsukka-Ibagwa-Ogurute-Ette road.
Others included Obuofia-Obeagu-Akegbe Ugwu Road, Obinofia-Ndiagu-Ugwuoba Road by Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Orie Engine-Aguobu-Umumba-Ebenebe Road to Anambra State border, Ituku Roads, Ozalla Roads, among others.
Otiji further explained that in selecting the 141 roads for construction and reconstruction, the government was deliberate in ensuring that all the zones, namely, Emene, Thinkers Corner, Abakpa, Trans Ekulu/New GRA/Old GRA, Awkunanaw (Achara Layout/Uwani/Gariki), Independence Layout, Ogui/Asata, and Coal Camp, were covered.
Also, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu, and the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Aka Eze Aka, said the Executive Council was also briefed on the ongoing hi-tech security surveillance camera installations around the state and the planned turnaround and upgrade of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.
Meanwhile, the state has built nearly 200,000 hectares in its Land Bank for agricultural purposes across its Produce Cities in the 17 LGAs of the state, which would now be boosted by the construction of the rural roads.
It has so far leased 15,000 hectares of land at Ikem Nkwo to Ugwu Anama Farms Enugu SPV Limited for the cultivation of crops; 2,000 hectares at Eha-Amufu to Atlantico Farms and Agro Concepts Limited for crop production and another 100 hectares for the establishment of an ultra-modern feed mill and poultry farm; 20,000 hectares to Sujimoto Group for cultivation of rice and development of an agro-industrial processing park at Odenigbo, Eha-Amufu; and 7,221 hectares to Fungtai Company Limited for planting economic trees, crop farming, and establishment of agro-allied industrial parks at Ugwujoro, Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani LGA.
