Residents beg Obiano to complete abandoned Umunamehi-Uli road

ULI—THE Uli people where the defunct Republic of Biafra had its air strip in Anambra State are groaning under lack of good roads. They also said that the Umunamehi-Eziama Uli road, in Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State, which was awarded by the immediate-past administration of Governor Peter Obi, had been abandoned. The residents of the community, have however, appealed to the incumbent Governor Willie Obiano, to come to their aid by completing the road before this year’s rainy season.

Failed portion of the Starch Mill-Uli road
According to them, the euphoria of their joy that the road would be completed before the end of Obi’s administration, ended in January 2014, when the contractor abandoned the job half-way.
This was even as they called on Obiano, to rehabilitate the Starch Mill-Eziama Uli road, which worsened during the construction of the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri Express way, following the heavy traffic on it.
Members of the community who spoke to South East Voice, said that inter-state bus drivers, and other motorists found the Starch Mill-Eziama Uli and the Umunamehi-Eziama Uli roads as alternative routes during the rehabilitation of the Onitsha-Owerri Express way.
While they complained that the Umunamehi-Eziama Uli road was abandoned half-way after the Obi administration commenced its repairs, they, however, said that the Starch Mill-Eziama Uli road, was left in deplorable condition by past administrations in the state.
Both roads South East Voice, gathered lead to the ancestral home of Anambra-born politician, Fab Ozigbo; former traditional ruler of Uli, late Eze Gregory Agbasiere; late Prophet of the Sabbath Church, Jacob Ojimba, (whose family is the largest in Eziama Uli), as well as the Oluoha of Eziama Uli, Sir Mike Anasonye, among other prominent personalities in the state.
South East Voice gathered during a visit to the community, that in the past, the Umunamehi-Eziama Uli was a safe haven for hoodlums who dispossessed   members of the community and visitors of their belongings at nights, and even in broad daylight.
The residents also said that the criminals capitalized on the impassable nature of the road to unleash terror on the people.
During the visit, it was discovered that the contractors rehabilitated the road from the Umunamehi Junction at Ihiala and stopped halfway at the Ubahidim village, instead of Eziama Uli where the road ended.
At night, both roads were usually engulfed with absolute darkness that sends shivers down the spines of people, especially into strangers, owing to the absence of street lights along them.Commenting on the issue, Chief Gabriel Ezechukwu regretted the deplorable state of the two roads, linking their community to the Onitsha-Owerri Express way, ‘’had been abandoned since January last year.’’

• Uncompleted portion of the Umunamehi-Uli road
According to Ezechukwu; ‘’We were happy when the Peter Obi’s administration commenced the repairs at the tail end end of his administration. But half-way, the contractors abandoned the road, leaving us shocked.
“As for the Starch Mill-Eziama Uli road, it was last repaired during the administration of Governor Mbadinuju, but since then, our people have been threatened by erosion and flood during the rainy seasons.”
Another resident, Mrs. Charity Obianagwa, who lamented the marginalisation suffered by her people in the hands of several administrations of the state, however, called on Obiano to come to their aid.
“Our people gave Governor Obiano immense support during the governorship election. So, we expect him to fulfil his promise that our people would not be left out of his administration’s infrastructural development in the state,” she said.