…Ikpeazu signs undertaking with NBA to fix roads
…NBA suspends November protest
From Nonye Udumiri, Aba
The government of Abia State on Monday after a serious dialogue with the Aba branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), signed an undertaking with the Bar that appreciable progress will be made on the dilapidated roads in the commercial city before 31st of January 2022.
This promise from the Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu led administration came on the much talked about epic NBA protest that should have taken place on Tuesday, 23rd November 2021, which the NBA wanted to use to express displeasure over the decay of infrastructure in Aba.
News Echo gathered from reliable sources within the Aba NBA that since the resolution of the Bar to go on what it tagged “RAIN BOOT MARCH”, which will be the second time lawyers will do such in Aba after the 2012 protest, the Abia State government has been sending delegation to the NBA to plead for more time.
Residents of the city were waiting for the Tuesday protest, until an emergency final meeting between the government and the NBA on Monday, ended with the government delegation led by the Commissioner for Works, Barr. Bob Ogu making a written promise to the Bar on the situation of roads in Aba.
In a city-wide sensitization programme monitored live by News Echo on Radio after the Aba NBA suspended the protest, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu Barr. Onyebuchi Ememanka hailed the Aba Bar for listening to the voice of reasoning and subsequently suspending the protest.
Emamanka who said that the NBA’s resolution to go on the protest was done in a haste, stressed that no road is standing today in Aba that one can make use of, that does not bear the signature of Okezie Ikpeazu.
He said that it is preposterous for anybody to say that the government of Abia State has been insensitive to issues of infrastructure in Aba, adding that in Aba alone, he can count how many state roads the Ikpeazu government has done.
“Ukaegbu, Ehere and Umuola were impassable. Trees used to grow on Umuola road. Plantain used to grow on Ehere road who fixed them? Are they not state roads?
“The value of properties at Osusu road came down at a point that a man wanted to sell his two-storey building for N7 million. We’re on Eziukwu road today that was forgotten.
“Have we done all the roads, the answer is no, are there roads that we did that failed, the answer is also yes.”
He said that the Enugu Port Harcourt Highway is the responsibility of the Federal Government, the same as Ekeakpara Road which he said is the Old Aba-Owerri Road that is still under the Federal Government.
Ememanka went further to say that Ikpeazu tried to fix the Ekeakpara road, but the Federal Ministry of works wrote and asked him to stop work that they have already awarded the road to their contractor.
“They wrote us officially that it’s the property of the Federal Government and that they have mobilized a contractor for the job.
“The Federal Government awarded that road at N7.4 billion meanwhile the Abia Government awarded it at N3.8 billion for the same road.
“We begged them to allow us to at least finish the rigid pavement technology. Gov Okezie Ikpeazu even undertook to forfeit refunds.
“Because when you do Federal road, you’ll apply for a refund. They said they have a policy that if one does Federal road without their approval, he’ll not get any refund, but the Governor said allow me to fix it first because of the petroleum tanker driver that wanted to go on strike because of that road.”
Ememanka went further to counter the claim that Ikpeazu has not done anything on infrastructure adding that it is on record that from the time Dee Sam Mbakwe (Civilian Governor of Old I’m State) left office in 1983 till date, it was only under Ikpeazu that Faulks Road became accessible from Brass Junction to the Expressway.
He said that what led to the early decay of Faulks Road barely a year or two after the construction was because of some technical issues.
“My happiness is that the people of Aba saw that road when it was constructed, they saw it and made use of it. It was never commissioned and we admitted it. We’ll never complete a road like Faulks Road without commissioning it.
“It was when they were supposed to lay the wearing course that the technical issues were noticed. I’m from Umule, it leads to my house. It’s unfortunate what happened. The people of Aba should be patient. Ikpeazu fixed that road to the point that people were happy. When things go wrong people forget.
“Ikpeazu will refix Faulks Road again. We didn’t say it didn’t spoil. In a matter of weeks, work will start on Faulks Road.
“It’s wrong for one to say you can’t go to Ariaria. What should be said is that you can’t go to Ariaria through Faulks Road, but there are other roads done by this government that can take you to Ariaria.
“From Abayi, through MCC road, you enter Samek road, you’re in Ariaria, but that is not an excuse why Faulks Road failed. I don’t want people to think Ariaria is not accessible.”
Ememanka who is also a member of the NBA refuted the claims that the Aba Bar face intimidation from the government over the planned RAIN BOOT MARCH.
“Minus myself and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Barr ACB Agbazuere, there are five members of NBA Aba in the current Abia State Executive Council.
“Five Commissioners front NBA. Commissioner for Works, Barr. Bob Ogu, Commissioner for Youth Development, Barr. Charles Esonu, Commissioner for Post Basic Education, Barr. Chijioke Mark, Commissioner for Joint Project, Barr. Chinenye Emelogu.
“The Secretary to the state government, Barr. Chris Ezem is a lawyer, so how can the government want to intimidate members of a profession that has such top representation?
He said that what the government simply did was to dialogue with the NBA, where those of them in government dialogued with the NBA where they are also members.
“I’m a professional in government I’m not a politician and I’m proud I’m serving in the Abia government. We came to our branch of NBA and said that this resolution to protest was done hastily.
“Since you have members holding key positions in this government, you people should have allowed us to come to you so that you ask us questions, is it that Aba has been abandoned then you hear from us.
“I salute the NBA for listening to the voice of reasoning, my stay in government cannot define me. By the 31st of January, appreciable progress would have been made on those roads.
“Barr Bob Ogu who’s the Commissioner for Works wouldn’t have made such a promise without having backup information. By that time frame we gave, the Bar will be impressed.”
Ememanka went further to say that it is good that the NBA listened and saved Aba from another protest which could have been hijacked, alleging that there were plans by some hoodlums and angry politicians to hijack the NBA protest in Aba.
“The people who started the EndSARS protest simply wanted to draw the attention of the government to what policemen especially SARS were doing to the citizens, little did they realize that they were igniting something that’ll plunge the nation into calamity.
“Lives were lost, public buildings were destroyed. I can tell you authoritatively that plans have been perfected by some hoodlums to hijack the protest. Lawyers are gentlemen, they cannot do anything violent.
“They will simply carry placards and move. But they could be moving around Aba Motor Park without knowing what’s happening around the Abayi area. I’m in government. I have access to information.
“I said to God be the glory that the protest was avoided. A lot of people including politicians who are not happy that they lost elections would have cashed in on the protest to do their thing.”
In a swift reaction to Ememanka’s claim about hoodlums planning to hijack the protest, the Aba NBA Vice Chairman, Barr Victor Onweremmadu said that such claims are untrue and unacceptable to him.
He said that it is very laughable for government to always use the word hijack to intimidate citizens from expressing themselves.
Onweremmadu insisted that the Abia State government tried to intimidate the NBA and failed. He said that part of the intimidation strategy was to use the issue of hijack by hoodlum to create fear in the city.
“When we talk about intimidation, this is part of it that people will hijack our protest as lawyers. I will not buy into that intimidation. If we buy this idea and agree with them, it then means we cannot do any protest in Aba again.
“How can they be talking about hijack? Nobody will hijack our protest. It is not possible. We decided to suspend the protest, not on this issue of hijack. By January 31st if we didn’t see what they said we’ll see, will they come and tell us that people will hijack it then? Nobody will hijack it.
“They only want to put fear into people with such statements that hoodlums are there to do this and that. When lawyers dress in their attire and march the streets you’ll see the difference.
“We call it rainboots March. We still have our rain boots waiting. Our rain boots are on the ground waiting. If they fail to do the needful, there’ll be no excuse.”
Onweremmadu who is also Chairman, Aba NBA Human Rights Committee said that the Bar cannot succumb to any pressure from anybody.
“We’re lawyers. Yes, I must admit that there may be intimidation from the government and calls. The DSS has invited me to this planned protest. They invited me on Sunday, I said I cannot come on Sunday, they said I should come on Monday, I said I have a meeting as well.
“They said I should come on Tuesday as well. Lawyers cannot be intimidated. Even at the meeting today, we were of the view that nobody can intimidate us.”
Onweremmadu frowned at the government for saying that certain roads were not done because they are Federal roads or with the claims that the Federal Ministry of Works asked them to stop work. He described such claims as disturbing.
“The issue of calling a road Federal road and that’s why work stopped there calls for worry. The much talked about Port Harcourt Road inside Aba town is a federal road as well.
“I’m saying this now so that tomorrow this government will not come out and tell us again that just like Ekeakpara, they stopped work at Port Harcourt Road because it is a federal road or because the Federal Government stopped them.”
He explained that before the leadership of the NBA who participated in the dialogue with the government left the meeting, the Abia State government assured the NBA that works have started on all those roads they complained about.
“They said that we’re going to see works in progress that will impress us before the 31st of January 2022 and that if that is not done as said, we can now embark on our protest without recourse to the government.
“The issue of bad roads in Aba is obvious. They have been mentioning Ehere, Ukaegbu and Umuola Roads, let me put this issue straight, Aba has been cut into two because of bad roads.
“Yes, if you come to the Ogbor-Hill axis they may not feel the heat. Go to Ariaria, Flyover axis, Ekeakpara area, people there cannot even go to their houses. Are they not part of Aba?
“People want to see facts, not just promises. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has spent six years in office and you’re still promising people. He’s our own, I’m also from Umugo here in Aba.
“I cannot even go to my house from Flyover to my village. Lawyers are reasonable people and cannot be intimidated.”
Onweremmadu confirmed that the Abia State government ever since the planned protest was made public has been sending delegates to the NBA to dialogue.
“They have some of our members in the government like the Commissioner of Works, Barr. Bob Ogu who was a former Secretary of Aba NBA. The Attorney General, Barr. Uche Ihediwa, spoke to us.
“These people are gentlemen and they’re people we can take their words. Even the CPS to the Governor, Barr Onyebuchi Ememanka is a respected member of the bar, I must admit.
“When they came, they spoke to us, they asked us to put them to a test and give them that benefit of the doubt. We didn’t cancel the protest.
“We suspended it because of the intervention of these men and what they said to us. The dialogue we had with them and the gentlemen they sent was why we suspended it not because of any form of intimidation.
“We asked them to put all they’ve said in writing. We have their words in writing now. If they fail to do it, come 31st of January, if nothing is done, we’ll hit the streets. The whole world will hear about it.”
