Senator Utazi has commenced lobbying for the reconstruction and dualisation of the 9th Mile-Opi (Nsukka)-ObolloAfor-Otukpo-Makurdi (Trunk A) Federal Highway in the 2017 Budget.
In several interventions with the Honorable Minister for Power, Works and Housing Mr. BabatundeFashola, the Senator impressed it upon the Minister of the strategic importance of the road being the only major highway connecting the South-East to the Northern Part of the country. He drew attention to the urgency of the need for reconstruction and dualisation especially in the face of unacceptable high number of human fatalities on the road arising from the accidents consequent upon the total collapse of the road. Armed Robbers have also taken advantages of the dilapidated condition of the road and have created several black spots on the road, robbing and killing commuters at will.
Tracing the history of the road which was constructed in 1978, Senator Utazi informed the Minister that the road from Makurdi to Otukpo to Otukpa to Orokam all in Benue State links the Eastern State at Inyi through Amalla, to ObolloAfor and thence to Opi and to Ninth Mile Corner. He worried about the volume of the traffic and heavy duty vehicles on the road, which is perhaps the only single lane Trunk A Federal Highway with such traffic. The burden the road bears is underscored that this single lane road bifurcates at 9th Mile and feeds two very busy dual carriage ways; one moving from 9th Mile to Onitsha and from thence to Benin and Lagos, and the other linking the Enugu Port-Harcourt Expressway.
The Senator is hopeful that the assurances received will result in the inclusion of the very important road in the 2017 budget of the Federation.