By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo has approved the immediate construction of the Aroma-to-State Secretariat Road in Awka, the capital city of the state.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, gathered that the approval, which aligns with the ongoing massive transformation and infrastructural facelift within the capital territory and other parts of the state, was given at the instance of the Head of Service, Barr. Theodora Okwy Igwegbe mni, during Tuesday’s meeting of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC).
Confirming the approval in a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday, the State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, said the construction project, was awarded to the GELD Construction, and is timed to be completed within an unprecedented ten days, ahead of the 2024 Public Service Day Celebration in the state, slated for next week.
Stretching from the popular Aroma Junction to the Jerome Udorji Secretariat Complex, the ever-busy road, which connects with other major bypasses in the Awka metropolis stands out as a vital access route for thousands of public service workers and other road users in the state, but has long been riddled with portholes and starved of necessary attention.
However, with the construction approval now given by Prof. Soludo — fondly called the Solution Governor — with a set completion time of not more than ten days, expectations are high that the challenges encountered in accessing the road all these years will soon be over, while a smoother access and a more conducive working and living environment is assured to the people.
This development comes on the heels of the recent reconstruction of other critical roads within the capital city, including the newly transformed State House of Assembly Road, which also connects to the newly awarded Secretariat Road.
Reacting to the approval, the Head of Service, Barr. Igwegbe lauded the governor’s commitment to advancing the welfare of public servants in the state. She described the project as another evidence of the administration’s transformative approach to governance and its recognition of the pivotal role civil servants play in the development of the state.
“The approval is a commendable intervention that will not only significantly enhance access to the hub of government activities, the Secretariat, but also be remembered as part of the governor’s bold steps to create an environment that supports productivity, efficiency, and ease of movement for civil servants and the host of other road users,” she said in an interview with this reporter.
Barr. Igwegbe also noted that the project’s completion ahead of the Public Service Day Celebration would serve as a morale booster for the state’s workforce, while reassuring the commitment of Ndị Ọrụ Oyibo Anambra to giving their best in the discharge of their services.
This reporter observed that the road construction approval has drawn widespread commendation from civil servants and road users alike, who see it as another milestone in the state government’s ongoing infrastructural transformation. While many praised Governor Soludo’s administration for its focused and results-driven approach that has continued to yield tangible benefits for the people of Anambra, many others also urged him to extend similar attention to other parts of the state where is highly needed, especially as the state gears up for the Yuletide.
It would be recalled that the state government, under Governor Soludo, has also recently restored pipe-borne water in Anambra State after over 20 years, and which he also extended to the State Secretariat Complex, among other urban, semi-urban, and rural parts of the state, as was championed through the State Ministry of Power and Water Resources.
