Rep Sam Onuigbo



By Tony Icheku 

A member of the  Board of the North East Development Commission, NEDC, Hon Sam Onuigbo on Sunday during an interactive session with newsmen lauded the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for prioritising the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the North East geo-political zone devastated by the Boko Haram  insurgency.


Onuigbo, who represents the South-East on the Board and serves as it's  Chairman, Security and Climate Change Committee further applauded the Tinubu administration for  fast-tracking actions on roads reconstruction and rehabilitation across the length and breadth of the Country 


A portion of the Umuahia - Ikwuano - Ikot-Ekpene road under reconstruction 



"The Tinubu-led Federal Government deserves commendations not only  for ensuring continuity on road contracts awarded by the preceding administration, but equally for insisting that the projects proceed at a commendable pace", he said


Onuigbo, explaining that he had visited completed portions of the road, especially former bad spots, expressed delight over the  pace of work on the Umuahia - Ikwuano - Ikot Ekpene road which he described as satisfactory and commendable



portion of the Umuahia - Ikwuano - Ikot-Ekpene road under reconstruction


Going down memory lane, the former lawmaker who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives recalled a period in 2016 when the road's deplorable condition rendered it impassable which led to his intervention for emergency palliative works to be done on the road before it was finally awarded for rehabilitation and reconstruction, a project he facilitated.


Onuigbo who had earlier conducted a media tour of Federal projects he attracted to his constituency maintained that the Tinubu administration is on course and he enjoined all to cooperate with the President as politicking us gone and governance is now the order of the day.


portion of the Umuahia - Ikwuano - Ikot-Ekpene road under reconstruction



Amongst the projects visited include the Achingali - Ekenobizi - Umuwawa - Ubakala linking Imo and Abia States with a connectioning bridge that had been in disrepair since 1970, after the Civil War, but is now being rehabilitated.

Onuigbo, speaking on the NEDC argued that  all Nigerians are beneficiaries as the NE which he explained had 1/3% of Nigeria's landspace with vast arable land plays hosts to other  Nigerians from different geo-political zones, whose businesses were destroyed during the peak  of the  insurgency 


According to him, the NEDC was set up by an Act of Parliament to  rehabilitate, reconstruct, resettle and rebuild  communities  destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgency, and also  address Climate Change challenges such as the receding of Lake Chad, care for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, reduce illiteracy and generally improve the living standards of the region.


He expressed delight that insurgency has been drastically reduced and instability controlled in the North East through initiatives introduced by the Federal Government, with support from international organisations


Responding to questions on his role as the SE representative, Onuigbo explained that like their hosts and other Nigerians living in the NE, they are suffered devastations during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency but  are now enjoying a better-secured environment.

 “Our people who are living and doing business in the NE  had their houses and businesses were destroyed alongside those of the indigenes. Every destruction in the NE affected the SE  “We all  contribute to the development of the NE.  We have our people working and living in the NE” he submitted