Months after the reported presidential approval of the 150-kilometre Oba–Nnewi–Uga–Ihube road project, communities along the Anambra-Imo corridor are still waiting to see the construction activity they say they were promised.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has now challenged the Federal Government to move the project beyond approval and procurement, warning that prolonged inaction is fuelling disappointment among residents and road users.
HURIWA, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, said communities that had endured the road’s deplorable condition for years needed visible intervention rather than further assurances.
The association specifically called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Federal Ministry of Works to disclose the status of the project, including procurement, contractor selection, funding and the expected date of mobilisation to site.
The road intervention had generated expectations after Tinubu reportedly approved its design and procurement as part of major infrastructure projects intended to improve connectivity and economic activity in the South-East.
But HURIWA said the absence of visible construction had created a widening gap between the government’s announcement and the experience of communities along the route.
“The people along this road network are asking for action, not another announcement,” the group said.
“They want to see construction equipment, workers and engineers on site. They want to see the road being rebuilt and their communities connected safely.”
The development also touches on previous concerns raised by the member representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere Ikeagwuanu.
Ugochinyere had drawn the attention of the House to the condition of the Akokwa–Arondizuogu–Okigwe road, describing it as a death trap and raising concerns over reported attacks on motorists using the route.
HURIWA said the security dimension makes the delay particularly troubling, warning that continued deterioration could expose road users to avoidable risks while increasing transportation costs and hardship for communities.
The association also noted that the road serves as an important transportation and economic corridor linking communities across parts of Anambra and Imo states.
HURIWA said the Federal Government should therefore provide Nigerians with a clear implementation timeline rather than leaving affected communities to rely on the original announcement.
It also urged Ugochinyere and other lawmakers representing affected areas to intensify legislative oversight and regularly update constituents on the project’s progress.
For communities that have waited years for a major intervention, HURIWA said the real test of the presidential approval would not be the announcement itself, but when construction equipment finally arrives on site.
The group urged the government to act quickly, saying transparency and visible implementation were necessary to restore confidence among residents along the corridor.
HURIWAs National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko
