PRINCE EZE UGOCHUKWU
One of the the highest priorities of the Governor Hope Uzodimma 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”.
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 stakeholders 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, access to land, access to health, and access to 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. So also 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.