By Prince Eze Ugochukwu
One of the highest priorities of the Governor Hope
Uzodimma’s administration is the development of access to both the urban and
rural areas of Imo State knowing that good transport networks are crucial to
ensuring connectivity of persons, goods and services.
"Access is an important factor in development.
People need to have adequate access to goods and services. A lack of access
limits the opportunity that people have to improve and sustain their social and
economic well being. Therefore, improving access is a way of reducing poverty.
A lack of access is perceived as one of the main underlying factors of poverty
particularly in rural areas,” quoting the governor.
As a developmental driven leader, His Excellency
Governor Hope Uzodimma reasoned that to promote rural development, there is
need to adopt policies and programs that would improve access to those
facilities, services and opportunities within the rural communities of Imo
State.
Apart from the reconstruction of the major highways
that connect the three urban cities in Imo State, the Governor equally convened
a stakeholder’s interaction with the rural people to identify their transport
needs for possible interventions. The outcome led to the identification (IN THE
1ST PHASE) of five kilometres of critical rural roads in each of the twenty
seven local government areas of the state. Already, work has commenced on some
of these roads.
Whether it is access to education, land, health, and
services, there is need for a good transport system to bring all together. This
is very crucial to the improvement of the living and working conditions of the
rural population.
The 35 kilometres highway leading from the Owerri
capital city to Orlu urban has been completed and commissioned, so also the first
phase of the 55 kilometres leading to Okigwe urban while the contractors are
gearing to mobilize to site on the already flagged off Owerri to Umuahia dual
carriageway, and Orlu to Uga, a border
community with Anambra State. These are all part of the integrated access
network program of His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Providing access to rural areas and integrating them
into the larger urban highway network is a clear policy direction of the
Uzodimma administration. The idea is to make sure that rural dwellers are not
cut off from wider socio-economic activities.
A whopping 135 kilometres of rural roads will not
only transform rural lives, but bring them closer to the urban centres for
enhanced economic development and social interaction.
This is indeed transformative.
Prince Eze Ugochukwu is the Special Adviser to Imo
Governor on Public Enlightenment
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