Anambra: Ochanja-Iweka road damaged by flood not yet inaugurated, still under construction

The Anambra state government has addressed reports circulating online concerning the Ochanja-Iweka road project in the state.

A recent video trending on social media showed a washed-out portion of the road as a result of flooding.

The video was accompanied by claims that the road was poorly constructed and commissioned weeks ago by Chukwuma Soludo, governor of the state.

But in a statement on Tuesday, Christian Aburime, press secretary to the governor, said the claims were not true.

He said heavy rainfall on Monday impacted a section of the Ochanja-Iweka road, which is currently under construction.

Aburime said the road has not been inaugurated by the governor.

“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 statement reads.

“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.”

Aburime called on the public to disregard the “misinformation campaign”, saying 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,” the statement reads.