The Imo Government says it has constructed 64 roads, measuring 153.64 kilometres, between 2020 and 2023.
The Commissioner for Works, Mr Ralph Nwosu, disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen in Owerri on Thursday.
Nwosu said that the roads were part of the planned road revolution across the 27 Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that while 43 roads, measuring 357.40km, were ongoing, the Ihagwa/Nekede Road and a bridge, being constructed together with the road, would soon be completed.
He also said that five kilometres of roads would be constructed in each council area to ease the pressure on roads in urban centres.
Nwosu further said that the defunct Imo Rural Roads Maintenance Agency would be resuscitated to give impetus to government’s rural roads revolution.
He said that when completed, the projects would help to check flooding arising from rains in rural communities.
He, however, decried the activities of both the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and Federal Ministry of Works (FMoW) in the state.
According to Nwosu, they are under-performing.
He said the poor performance by the two Federal Government agencies explained why the Imo Government decided to handle the construction, reconstruction and rehabilitation of some of the federal roads in the state.
“The aim is to alleviate the transportation difficulties being faced by motorists and commuters.
“Honestly, FERMA and FMoW have not been fair to us in this state.
“Otherwise, we will not be at a place like Mgbidi, where I come from, working on federal roads,” the commissioner said.
He also said that flyovers would be constructed at strategic locations in the state to ease traffic.
“We still have much to achieve and we are now on a higher qualitative stage on road construction and rehabilitation in this second phase.
“We are doing this through efficient and judicious management of available resources,” Nwosu said. (NAN)
