By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Ebonyi State Government has given the assurance that the road linking to Ezzagu, Ishielu Local Government Area of the state will be completed before Governor David Umahi’s administration winds up.

The inhabitants of the area had expressed dismay over State Government’s neglect of the area, including absence of social amenities. But the government, in quick reaction, said construction work on the area has begun.

On the General Hospital in the area, which is currently reconstructing would be ready in the next seven days to tackle the health challenges of the people.

In a joint press conference in Abakaliki, the state capital, Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Ogbonnaya Obasi, and Special Assistant to the Governor David Umahi on Media and publicity, Francis Nwaze debunked a report in one of the National dailies describing it as malicious and untrue.

They appealed to the people to be patient with the government, adding that the road connecting the community was initially awarded to a contractor and was terminated following slow pace of work.

Nothing that the road was awarded to another contractor on February this year and that the contractor has done 10km of its first phase remaining 5km of the phase to be completed.

He said: “Remember when Ebonyi state was newly created and I had an assignment to do at Ezzagu, I had to access Ezzagu through Enugu state and that is the truth. People from that community will bear me witness that before Ebonyi State was created, you could only access Ezzagu through Enugu state. Thank God Ebonyi State was created and we now have these roads leading to Ebonyi State.

“It is on record that the Ntezi/Agba/Isu 35km road was constructed during the regime of Dr. Sam Egwu and that road was done on asphalt and completed up to Isu.

“It is also on road that the Agba/Eguhuo/Ezzagu road was also awarded on contract by the immediate past government of Chief Martin Elechi including one of the unity bridges.

“The road was completed but the belly bridge was still there; the belly bridge wasn’t completed. When His Excellency the Governor, Engr. David Umahi, came on board, that bridge was completed.

“For the fact that Ntezi to Isu axis of the road has gone bad, His Excellency the Governor also took it upon himself to award the contract. For now, about 10km of that road has been completed on rigid pavement and work is still on-going.

On his part, Special Assistant to Governor Umahi on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze, disclosed that a general hospital located in the area was currently undergoing reconstruction by the state government and that in the next seven days, it would be ready for use.

Nwaze said: “If somebody is pregnant, I think there is what is called Expected Delivery Date(EDD) and before then, you are supposed to be in the hospital which is what those who are complaining that they die or their babies die on way to hospital in Abakaliki during labour should have done.

“The Agba General hospital located on the Ezzagu road is one of the General hospitals in the state that His Excellency the Governor approved for reconstruction and a team led by Mrs. Ann Aligwe has started work there. In less than seven days’ time, the work will be completed.”

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