The people of Umudike Ukpor in Nnewi South Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra, have called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to save them from the negative impacts of the 2.6 kilometre Umudike Ukpor-Afor Ilo Ozubulu road which is in a state of disrepair.

Valentine Ifechigha, the Secretary General, Umudike General Assembly, Ukpor, and a former councillor in the area spoke to journalists in Awka on Friday.

Mr Ifechigha said the construction of the road was started in 2019 by the Willie Obiano administration but was abandoned soon after.

Mr Ifechigha, who described the road as strategic, said about one kilometre of the road was asphalted before the construction company left site, leaving about 1.6 kilometres in deplorable state.

He called on Soludo to extend his emergency on road infrastructure in the state to Ukpor by including the Umudike Ukpor-Afor Ilo Ozubulu road in his plan of action.

Citing the effect of the bad road on their socioeconomic life, Mr Ifechigha said completing the project would link Nnewi South and Ekwusigo LGAs, enhance economic interaction between them and accelerate development in the area.

He regretted that the road was not only impassable but had become an ecological disaster area due flood and gully erosion activities on it.

According to him, “the people of Umudike Ukpor wish to commend Mr Governor for his Solution Agenda as seen in the area of road revolution.

“We want to beg him to look in our direction, Ukpor has a serious need for infrastructure, but more importantly, we want to appeal to Gov. Soludo to restart and complete the Umudike Ukpor-Afor Ilo Ozubulu road project.

“That road, measuring about 2.6 kilometres, means a lot to us, it was first flagged off in 2019 but work stopped after the contractor had covered about one kilometre. We are pleading that the governor should direct that work resume there,” he said.

Mr Ifechigha appreciated sons and daughters of the community, including Nkoli Imoh, who facilitated the initial take off of the project.