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By Madu Obi
The Anambra State government has described as misinformation the story making the rounds concerning the ongoing Ochanja-Iw
eka road project in the state.
An earlier report had said that this year's first rain in the state caused havoc on Monday as it washed away the Ochanja Market road in the commercial city of Onitsha constructed by the state government and commissioned by the governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo about a week ago.
The road was said to be at the Woliwo area of Onitsha South local government area.
The issue attracted a lot of comments from the residents of Amambra State, with many people expressing worry over what they described as the poor and shoddy jobs the administration of Governor Soludo is executing with the taxpayers money.
Some residents had wondered how only 20 minutes of rainfall could cause the massive washing away of the road commissioned barely one week ago.
But reacting on the development, the Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr. Christian Aburime said the reports were not true.
Aburime's statement read: "Following heavy rainfall on Monday 25, March 2024, which caused uprooted trees, downed electrical poles, and damage to public infrastructure across the state, a section of the Ochanja-Iweka road, currently under construction, was also impacted.
"Contrary to the misrepresentations of the viral video and accompanying insinuations, the washed-out area of the road is less than two feet of recently asphalted pavement.
"Besides, the Ochanja-Iweka Road remains an active construction site, with work ongoing even during the heavy downpour yesterday.
"The brief vulnerability of the newly paved section is attributed to insufficient curing time before the heavy rain due to the construction schedule.
"Also, a silted drainage system caused the accumulation of water that affected the small, unfinished section while the road’s solid stone base, throughout its entire length, remains completely intact."
"Thus the trending video deliberately includes misleading footage of a different, already existing road that is not under construction."
"The Ochanja-Iweka road project is neither finished, nor commissioned by Governor Soludo. He has only commissioned the Port Harcourt Road and Niger Street Road in Onitsha South LGA, both of which are demonstrably well-built and functional."
"We urge the public to disregard the misinformation campaign accompanying the misleading video. It is a blatant attempt to distort reality and spread fake news."
Governor Soludo is firmly committed to delivering high-quality road infrastructure that will stand the test of time."
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