By Douglas Okoro
Minister of Works Dave Umahi says Section 1 of the Trans-Sahara Highway in Ebonyi has reached 45 per cent completion, with more than 2,000 workers currently engaged.
Umahi, who disclosed this on Saturday during an inspection of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja section of the Trans-Sahara Highway, commended the quality of work by the contractor.
The minister said the project remained a major Federal Government intervention to open up the South-East to greater economic opportunities, strengthen inter-state connectivity and enhance security.
“Section One is about 45 per cent completion. The quality of the concrete pavement is top-notch,” Umahi said.
He said the section covered about 125.5 kilometres, beginning from the Ndibe Beach axis and passing through Akpoha, Abomege, Amudo and Onueke, as well as parts of Ezza North and Ebonyi Local Government Areas.
According to him, some portions of the alignment are being dualised in response to increasing economic activities and urban development, citing the 8.9-kilometre stretch around Afikpo and the 2-kilometre section at Abomege.
Umahi also disclosed that Section 2, extending into Benue and other parts of the country, covered about 173.6 kilometres and had a contract value of approximately N683 billion.
He said the Federal Government had already paid 30 per cent of the contract sum, stressing that there was no financial constraint preventing the contractor from accelerating construction.
Umahi said the completed highway would reduce travel time and facilitate easier movement of agricultural produce, goods and people.
He said security infrastructure, including closed-circuit television cameras and solar-powered lighting, would also be incorporated into the project.
The minister further disclosed that the contractor had employed more than 2,000 people within Section 1, describing the development as a significant source of direct and indirect employment.
Earlier, the Engineer in charge of Section 1, Mohammed Mustapha, said construction had made significant progress from Afikpo toward the Mbeke axis.
“We are almost at 40 per cent of the project, starting from Afikpo to reach Mbeke here,” Mustapha said.
The Engineer in charge of Section 2, Rabih Munayyar, said the contractor was accelerating mobilisation and construction activities, including bush clearing and other preparatory works.
Munayyar commended Umahi’s technical supervision, saying: “I have never seen anybody so technically professional. Really, I’m impressed.”
Mr Maxwell Oko, acting Controller of the Trans-Sahara Road Project in Ebonyi, said the inspection point was at kilometre 118+300 of Section 2.
Oko said Section 1 ran from the Ndibe Beach axis through several communities in Ebonyi, with major structures including flyovers at Onueke and Ukwachi Junctions, alongside other proposed and ongoing bridge works.
He said Section 1 was awarded at approximately N454 billion, while Section 2 was awarded to Infiouest International at about N683 billion.
Choma Nweze, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (Southeast), described the project as a major economic intervention capable of transforming rural communities.
She said the highway would improve access to healthcare and markets, enable farmers to transport food to towns and reconnect communities across the Southeast and adjoining states.
Nweze commended President Bola Tinubu and the Ministry of Works for the simultaneous execution of major road projects across the Southeast.
She urged residents to recognise the developmental impact of the infrastructure programme.
During the inspection, Umahi also visited sections where buildings and other properties could be affected by the road alignment.
He said the Federal Government was working with relevant authorities on compensation and resettlement, while commending the Ebonyi Government for supporting compensation efforts, particularly around the Onueke flyover corridor.
The minister reiterated that the Trans-Sahara Highway would significantly reduce journey times, improve security and expand economic opportunities across the corridor.
He said the project was part of the Federal Government’s wider infrastructure programme under Tinubu, aimed at addressing long-standing infrastructure deficits and improving connectivity across the country.
Umahi also urged the media to report infrastructure projects based on verifiable facts and figures.
The inspection was attended by officials of the Federal Ministry of Works, contractors, engineers, and other stakeholders involved in the project.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz