Eshiorameh Gabriel writes that after a decade of advocacy, the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene road is almost completed following President Bola Tinubu’s decisive intervention and transfer to state authorities.
Imagine a journey that should take 30 minutes, but instead steals five hours or more of your life. This is the daily reality on the Umuahia-Ikwuano-IkotEkpene Road, where commuters are worn down by the grind, and farmers see their crops and profits, bruised beyond sale. For decades, this vital 49-kilometer link road has been a frustrating tale for people of Abia and other neighbouring states. But that story is finally being rewritten.
The prolonged political and bureaucratic deadlock over the Umuahia-Ikwuano-IkotEkpene road has been decisively interrupted by a recent presidential directive. The commitment demonstrated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to resolve this longstanding issue is widely recognised as the catalyst for progress.
This calculated decision to leverage local oversight and execution has generated a palpable shift in public sentiment within the region, especially for a populace wearied by years of delay and infrastructural neglect. This latest move by the Tinubu administration has introduced a fragile yet significant sense of anticipation. There is now a prevailing mood of cautious optimism—a collective hope that this substantive political intervention may finally signal the end of a deeply frustrating chapter for commuters, farmers, and local economies alike.
At the heart of the long campaign to fix this road is Hon. Sam Onuigbo, a politician who has made its restoration a central cause of his career. His sustained advocacy, navigating multiple administrations with a consistent focus, has been widely noted as a prime example in persistent governance.
In a climate where long-term projects often falter amid changing political priorities, his ability to keep this critical infrastructure issue on the national agenda demonstrates the tangible impact that determined, constituency-focused leadership can achieve.
The catalyst for action can be traced to May 26, 2016. It was then that Sir Sam Onuigbo took the floor of the House of Representatives, armed with stark evidence of the devastating nature of the road. That parliamentary motion ignited what would become a nine-year odyssey of bureaucratic wrestling. His subsequent meeting with then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, BabatundeFashola, in June 2016 yielded what seemed like quick results. A response letter dated June 15, 2016, committed to immediate palliative works and promised a full contract award by 2017.
The momentum built through 2016 culminated in a December flag-off ceremony at Okweukwu, Oboro, where Onuigbo stood alongside Senator T.A. Orji as Federal Roads Maintenance Agency’s equipment rolled in.
The announcement was met with a widespread celebration from residents.
After enduring years of hardship, a palpable sense of relief swept through the community, one that gave the people a sense of belief that a resolution was finally within reach.
In retrospect, however, that initial optimism would prove to be tragically premature, as progress was not forthcoming.
That optimism proved premature. Though the Federal Government kept the promise contained in the June 2016 letter and awarded the main reconstruction contract to Hartland Nigeria Limited and Rayccon& Company Nigeria Limited in 2019, the project immediately collided with harsh economic realities. The combination of national recession and the COVID-19 pandemic starved the project of funding, leaving construction sites silent and communities disillusioned.
This was his lowest point, according to Onuigbo. When you have promised people relief and you have nothing to show but silent machinery, it weighs heavily on you. But leadership cannot be born from defeat. He had to find another way.
That other way surfaced in September 2021, when Onuigbo began championing a radical solution: transferring the project to the NNPCL Tax Credit Scheme. He became what some might call a nagging voice without apology. He wrote over a dozen letters, walked the corridors of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, made calls, essentially refusing to let the matter die.
He insisted they find the money, even if it meant looking in completely new places.
The persistence paid off in October 2021, and was communicated to him in a November 2021 letter from Works Mini, BabatundeFashola confirming the project’s adoption under the NNPC scheme. This is expected to address the funding challenges on the project and ensure timely completion. This was a hard-won victory. Yet even this breakthrough demanded vigilance, culminating in a February 3, 2025 Federal Executive Council approval of an augmentation to the tune of N14.37 billion.
President Tinubu’s move was a total game-changer. When he directed them to hand over the project to the Abia State Government, he essentially threw a lifeline to the people. The fact that he wasn’t bothered about who gets the credit, just that the job gets done, says a lot about his priorities. And trust this, the South-East is taking note – the people are not invisible, and they are not an afterthought.
The economic significance of the road can’t be overstated. Serving as a crucial corridor linking multiple geopolitical zones and extending to Cameroon, its decay has meant annual economic haemorrhage running into billions of naira.
With the finish line now visible, Onuigbo’s focus has shifted to mobilization. He had acknowledged Governor Alex Otti’s cooperation and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi’s technical oversight, but reserves his most urgent appeals for his own constituents.
He has also asked his people directly to clear the right of way and support the contractors.
The recent presidential directive is being hailed as a watershed moment for the region’s infrastructure, arriving as a critical intervention in areas most crippled by decay on the road. For years, communities have watched in dismay as expansive gully erosion systematically consumed entire sections of the highway, transforming a vital economic artery into a scar of neglect.
Each rainy season exacerbated the crisis, further isolating populations and strangling the flow of commerce between Abia and its neighbouring states.
Now, this long-awaited political action has ignited a palpable, cautious hope among residents, business owners, and commuters who had resigned themselves to a perpetual state of disconnect. There is a growing belief that the relentless cycle of deterioration can finally be broken. The ultimate promise of this initiative is the restoration of a foundational link—a chance to rebuild the prosperity and unity that the land itself had begun to erase.
The Ministry of Works has already completed technical assessments and the handover process, with engineers set to begin work immediately. For Hon Sam Onuigbo, who has spent nearly a decade of his political life on this single issue, the completion will be sweeter than any political victory.
The Umuahia-Ikwuano-IkotEkpene Federal Road, for so long, a source of immense difficulty for the region, has become a powerful symbol of what is possible.
It shows how persistent advocacy from the community, when met with decisive action from a government that cares, can finally bring about positive change. The President’s new directive marks the end of a deeply frustrating era for local residents and the wider network of connecting states. It paves the way for renewed economic opportunity, promises safer daily travel, and helps to mend the social connections that were frayed by years of a broken and treacherous journey.
Ndewo! I meela!! Daalunkeoma!!!
The people of South East are saying, “Thank you, Mr. President.”
-Gabriel writes from Abuja.
