By Francis Okoye
Residents of Umuaku and Eziama Uli in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State have called on Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to ensure his administration delivers high-quality work on the Umuaku–Eziama Uli road.
The project was recently taken over by the Anambra State Government from billionaire philanthropist, Emeka Okonkwo (E-Money).
The Umuaku–Eziama Uli road had been neglected for years. Seasonal erosion and severe dilapidation forced motorists to abandon the route, stifling economic activities and restricting the movement of goods between the communities and other parts of the state.
In the past, the road served as a vital alternative for travelers on the Onitsha–Owerri Expressway, helping motorists bypass traffic congestion around the Ihiala axis. However, after years of neglect by successive administrations, residents had nearly lost hope that the road would be rehabilitated.
Hope was rekindled when two prominent sons of Uli—Emeka Okonkwo (E-Money) and his brother, Kingsley Okonkwo (Kcee)—began intervening in local infrastructure. The duo recently completed a 3.4-kilometre road equipped with streetlights and a health centre in their home community of Amamputu Uli.
Following that achievement, contractors were mobilised to commence work on the Umuaku–Eziama Uli road. Construction had begun before it was halted by agents of the state government. The Transition Committee Chairman of Ihiala LGA, Anayo Orjiakor, subsequently announced that the state had officially taken over the project.
The development sparked concerns among residents, many of whom questioned why the government would interrupt a privately funded intervention that appeared to save public resources.
Ogbuehi Eziafa Onyekakusi, a youth leader from Eziama Uli, urged the governor and the local government chairman to ensure the road is completed promptly and to the highest standards.
Onyekakusi expressed fears that the project could once again be abandoned. In a statement shared on social media, he said:
“This was a road that was abandoned for years, with trees growing on it. Now that our brothers, E-Money and Kcee, who rehabilitated roads in Uli as they did in Amamputu, moved to rehabilitate this road, the state government stopped the work, declaring it had taken over the rehabilitation.”
He added, “We are not against the Anambra State Government taking over the project already embarked upon by E-Money and Kcee. But we demand a standard of work that replicates what was constructed in Amamputu, which has facilities including streetlights. Anything short of this will not be acceptable to our people.”
Meanwhile, during the official flag-off ceremony, the Ihiala Transition Committee Chairman, Anayo Orjiakor, defended the government’s decision. He described Governor Soludo as a “Solution Governor” who does not abandon projects.
Orjiakor explained that the road is being executed under a Public-Private-Community Partnership (PPCP) arrangement involving the state and local governments.
He stressed that the road’s ecological sensitivity requires more than basic grading.
“Government will construct this road to standard. Last Sunday, we heard that one of our brothers, Chief E-Money, said he wanted to rehabilitate the road. If anyone has the resources, such a person can support the government in the work it is doing for the people. We all know that the Ministry of Works inspected this road,” Orjiakor said.
Addressing the timeline concerns, he added, “I am surprised that people are not properly informing our brothers who are not at home about this road. In 2025, the Ministry of Ecology inspected this road and promised to rehabilitate it. I have heard what people are saying, and that is why I came to address the issue. The major contractor handling this project is the government. We should support the government for the development of our communities.”
