Onuigbo chides Ubani over claims of abandonment of Umuahia/Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene Road project

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress APC in Abia state, Chief Sam Onuigbo has berated a Senior Advocate of Nigerian Mr. Monday Ubani over claims he made in a recent petition to president Bola Tinubu regarding the current state of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot- Ekpene road.

Addressing a news conference on the matter in Abuja, Onuigbo, a two time former lawmaker for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency and now member of the North East Development Commission Board accused Ubani of deliberately trying to stoke public disaffection and misrepresentation of the actual state of affairs regarding the ongoing project which he said is tantamount to disservice to the federal government and the constituents he claims to speak for.

Onuigbo maintained that to describe the road as a death trap” and “nearly impassable’ and the suggestion of abandonment and total neglect by Ubani in his petition wherein he omitted the fact that substantial progress has been achieved on the project despite the logistics and environmental challenges inherent in executing such projects, is not just an exaggeration, but also a calculated distortion designed to provoke undue alarm rather than foster constructive dialogue.

The former Rep Member noted that Ubani, rather than engaging in measured discourse with the relevant authorities, chose to play to the gallery, as he wondered if the letter was an earnest plea for intervention or a veiled attempt to undermine confidence in the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot- Ekpene road project.

Onuigbo thanked President Bola Tinubu’s APC-controlled Federal Government that has continued to fund the project as he urged him and his team to sustain their efforts that has brought great relief to the users of the road.

Meanwhile, during an inspection of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot- Ekpene road by a team of independent journalists, some road users who ply the road as well as some locals noted that though work was continuing on the road, that the contractors needed to speed up the pace of work.

See photos below:

A Keke Operator Ndubuisi Ogah and the Vice Youth President of Egbuebula community Joseph Ajuka both have this to say.

AUDIO 1

Responding to claims of abandonment of the project by Ubani, the Chief Liaison Officer to Onuigbo, Abraham Osundu described such claims as untrue.

AUDIO 2

See Onuigbo’s Full Statement below:

TEXT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY REP. SIR SAM ONUIGBO FCIS, FNIM, KJW ON THE MISLEADING REPRESENTATION OF THE UMUAHIA-IKWUANO-IKOT EKPENE ROAD PROJECT BY BARRISTER MONDAY ONYEKACHI UBANI SAN

Gentlemen of the Press,

It is with profound dismay that, I address you this afternoon on the spurious allegations and sensational vituperations contained in the April 07, 2025 petition by Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani SAN, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, regarding the Umuahia
Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road project covering Abia and Akwa-Ibom States.

The claims in the so-called petition are erroneous, and deliberately crafted to stoke public disaffection and misrepresent the actual state of affairs regarding the project. It represents nothing but a disservice to the Federal Government’s efforts and the constituents he purports to speak for.

I wish to state that contrary to Ubani’s false claim that the project has been “abandoned,” the reality on ground is that construction is in progress. From June 2023(shortly after President Tinubu’s Administration took off), 8.42 km of the terribly-failed sections hasbeen completed, and 4.47 km of concrete work/drains has been achieved. In the first quarter of 2025(January to March), 880m of asphalt binder course, 3.22 km of wearing course, and 1.53 km of concrete drains have been completed.

For emphasis, the Federal Executive Council, presided over by President Bola Tinubu GCFR, on February 03, 2025 approved an augmentation of #14.37B for the Umuahia
Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene Road to ensure that the construction of the road continues
Consequently, the suggestion of abandonment and total neglect by Ubani two months after the approval by the FEC is a blatant falsehood that conveniently omitted the substantial progress achieved on this project despite the logistics and environmental challenges inherent in executing such massive projects.

And so, to describe this vital artery as “a death trap” and “nearly impassable” is not just an exaggeration, but also a calculated distortion designed to provoke undue alarm rather than foster constructive dialogue. Whether out of mischief or oversight, Ubani was very uncharitable by failing to acknowledge that in 2016, this road was absolutely impassable before the APC-led Federal Government intervened.
Perhaps it is pertinent to note that the same Barrister Ubani wrote a letter dated 1st October 2021 to President Buhari alleging that the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Federal Road had been abandoned. This was, at the time, found to be false. He orchestrated a similar scheme on June 1, 2023, even with some allegations against the former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. A review of theclaims contained in that scheme also turned out to be false. It must be of grave concern to broader interest groups(outside Ubani’s narrow base) that a man elevated to Senior Advocate of Nigeria last year should sustain and embellish protracted theory of falsehood concerning this Federal Road.
Unsuspecting public may wonder Ubani’s fixation with the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene Road project. The truth is that the project offers him a ready ground to play to the gallery. At any event, I understand and sympathise with him for the dilemma of being a Labour Party Chieftain and an appointee of Abia State Governor and yet an appointee of one of the leaders of the APC-led government at the same time. Ubani is alleged to be a Chieftain of the Labour Party in Ikwuano and Abia State, and serves on the Governing Council of Abia State University. He is also a Senior Special Adviser to the Senate President, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio. Instead of resorting to cheap blackmail, Ubani should remember that as a lawyer, facts and truth should guide his public communications.

It beggars belief that such a senior lawyer could draw stipends from the APC controlled government and make bold efforts to de-market the party at home to score cheap political points.

Judging by his actions to attempt to smear and de-market President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, one wonders whose interest Barrister Ubani is projecting or could it be that he is acting a script.
As we speak,I am reliably informed the contractor, Hartland Construction Company, has remained on-site, executing the said project, despite intermittent delays, some attributable to natural impediments, inevitable bureaucratic recalibrations, and funding challenges that accompany large-scale federal projects.

Therefore, to insinuate that the project has been abandoned is not only disingenuous, but potrays a troubling disregard for verifiable facts. Indeed, the NNPCL’s intervention, which the petitioner acknowledges, is a testament to Tinubu administration’s commitment to ensuring the project’s continuity.

It is curious that the writer, Ubani, rather than engaging in measured discourse with the relevant authorities, chose to play to the gallery on the path of public grandstanding, couching his grievances in language that borders on incendiary intent. One must question the motives behind such an approach, particularly when the facts contradict his narrative. Is this an earnest plea for intervention or a veiled attempt to undermine confidence in the project?
The Renewed Hope Agenda has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to delivering equitable progress, and the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene Road is no exception. To imply otherwise is to indulge in mischief. We urge well-meaning stakeholders to seek accurate briefings from the Federal Ministry of Works before resorting to unfounded public lamentations. The road project is on-going, and no ill-intentioned rhetoric will derail its fruition.

To Mr. President, we trust Your Excellency’s discernment in recognising this petition as an exercise of sensationalism rather than public interest communication. The government’s record speaks for itself; no misinformation can eclipse the tangible strides made daily on this project.

We thank President Bola Tinubu’s APC-controlled Federal Government that has continued to fund this important road network which connects Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Cross-Rivers states even down to Cameroun. We respectfully urge the President and his team to sustain this effort that has brought a great relief to the users of this allimportant road.