The Project Engineer supervising Enugu - Abakaliki Express Road, Engr Yusuf Olatunji said on Tuesday that the federal government remains committed to complete the ongoing road maintenance along Enugu-Abakaliki highway.
Olatunji who was reacting to the allegation by Ebonyi women protesters that the contractor handling the dilapidated federal dualized road, noted that a serious steps had been taken to complete the project within this month by the federal government.
He said that the contractor has strategically put road signs to guide those plying the route to avert accidents, but described as an unfortunate the careless driving of some drivers.
He urged the road users to be patience in using the one carriage way while his team remain committed to complete the other carriage way as fast as possible.
Olatunji urged the general public to support the government efforts to build standard roads across the nation, by not allowing an form of protest in the state.
He stated that Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway was among the fast delivery projects across the nation.
Recall that the women of Ntsuruakpa Izhia community in the Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi State have protested against the alleged abandoned road project allegedly causing deadly accidents along the Abakaliki-Enugu highway.
The women who blocked the Abakaliki-Enugu dualised roads by Senator Sam Egwu Flyover Ezzamgbo junction in Ohaukwu council area in the early hours of Tuesday expressed sadness over the slow pace of the road project execution, currently undergoing rehabilitation since last year.
While interacting with newsmen, the Leader of the women, Mrs Blessing Okweshi, lamented that the alleged abandoned project has been causing accidents resulting in deaths of those plying the route, especially the residents.
Reacting the former Coordinator of Ohaukwu Development Centre, Chief Okweshi Obiora and Chief Obasi James - a stakeholder in the community, observed that the level of the loss of lives already recorded on the road since last year was high and urged the contractor to hasten up to complete the job, to avoid attracting any form of protest in the community.
The Executive Chairman, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Prince Ikechukwu Odono, who came to the scene of the protest, urged the women to embrace peace by going back to their various homes, with assurance that the contractor would fasten up the work without any further delay.
Also, the State Commissioner for Capital Territory and Urban Development, Chief Sunday Inyima, advised the protesters to embrace peace with assurance that the relevant authorities would address their demands without delay.