Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the Abia State government have engaged in a war of words following the flagging off of the contract for the reconstruction of the Ohafia-Arochukwu Federal road in Abia State.
Governor Alex Otti, while flagging off the project, said that since its construction in the 1960s by the Michael Okpara administration, the road had become a political tool in the hands of successive administrations who, he said, neglected the road, causing it to deteriorate.
But reacting to the Governor’s speech, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who represents Abia North in the Senate, faulted the Abia Governor for not giving credit to the efforts of the Federal Government-funded Petroleum Trust Fund on the road.
Kalu further lamented that Governor Otti did not recognize his (Kalu’s) legislative efforts, which led to the construction of certain kilometers of the road.
However, the Abia State government has replied to Senator Orji Kalu, accusing him of spreading false, baseless, and misleading claims, saying that he is making puerile distortions.
In a statement issued by Ferdinand Ekeoma on Friday, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Otti, the Abia State government queried Kalu’s claims that, through his efforts as a Senator, former President Buhari ordered the release of funds to reconstruct the road, leaving only 14.5 kilometers.
Ekeoma, who said that Governor Otti is not dragging who attracted what, stated that the people are alive to see and give their verdict.
He alleged that Senator Kalu and most Abia people often access Arochukwu and Ohafia through Akwa Ibom, despite his claims of building the Arochukwu-Ohafia road.
He alleged that Kalu’s media team was trying to cover the criticism trailing the Senator for abandoning major roads in Abia North and for allegedly building substandard roads throughout his eight-year tenure as Governor.
“Senator Kalu’s claims are false, baseless, unfounded, and misleading. Unlike the initial 35-kilometer length that was awarded and abandoned, which was meant to terminate midway into Arochukwu, the present road awarded and flagged off by Governor Otti is a 41.4-kilometer road billed to terminate at the Abia boundary with Akwa Ibom.
“The claim by Senator Kalu’s media team is misleading and was obviously made to massage his ego and reduce the criticisms trailing him for abandoning major roads in Abia North and other parts of the state throughout his eight-year tenure as Governor, while he continues to use questionable construction companies to build very substandard roads attracted by him through the NDDC as a Senator.
“If the road was built as claimed by Senator Kalu, why do many indigenes of Abia North and other Abians, including Senator Kalu himself, often access Arochukwu and Ohafia from Akwa Ibom State?” Ferdinand Ekeoma asked.
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