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By Okey Sampson, Abia
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has appealed to residents of Abia State not to burn tyres on roads or engage in other activities that can destroy the road surface.
The appeal was made by the South-East 2 Zonal Director of FERMA, Suleiman Mohammed Omonowo, while inspecting the progress of work on the Aba–Azumini Highway being rehabilitated by Sukuk under the supervision of FERMA.
The South-East 2 Zonal Director described the burning of tyres during festivities and other times as the major contributing factor to road destruction.
“Our advice to the road users, especially the indigenes, is to protect the road from destruction. Let nobody come and destroy it or burn tyres in the name of celebration.
“This portion of the highway was in critical and terrible condition, a death trap to commuters and villagers before FERMA intervened,” he said.
Omonowo expressed satisfaction with the quality of the work done by the contractor who handled the project, saying that the catch pit constructed would prevent an overflow of water.
He said that the road, which connects Aba and some other communities in Abia up to Cross River State, carries a heavy volume of traffic; hence, FERMA’s intervention.
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The Federal Roads Maintenance Engineer for Abia State, Festus Okafor, said FERMA workers are not suffering harassment or other forms of violence from youths in Abia during their operations.
He praised President Bola Tinubu and Governor Alex Otti for ensuring that Abia is peaceful, saying that the tranquil atmosphere in the state enabled FERMA to execute its work without disturbance.
He said the intervention done on the road through the collaboration with Sukuk would alleviate the suffering of the people living along that corridor.
Residents of the area commended FERMA for rehabilitating the Aba–Azumini Highway, which traverses the three states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers.
Paul Okereke, a commercial bus driver who plies the Aba–Azumini Highway, said they had suffered over the years as a result of the poor state of the road.
He said that while the road was previously a nightmare, commuters now ply the route with relative ease.
John Madu, a commercial tricycle rider, expressed joy at FERMA’s work on the road and called for the efforts to be sustained.
Residents of Obingwa and Ukwa East in Abia, through which the road passes, equally commended FERMA for not only rehabilitating the road but also executing solid work on the drainage.
