The Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District, Chukwuka Utazi, said on Thursday, December 27, 2018 that N40 million had been proposed in the 2019 budget for the control of erosion at Onuiyi-Nsukka in Enugu State.
Utazi, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Nsukka, said the proposal was to ensure that the erosion problem in the community was solved permanently.
The late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, first President of Nigeria, lived in his Onuiyi Haven, few metres to a very deep erosion gully in the area, until he died in 1994.
“As senator representing Enugu North, I made a case for it because of the danger posed by the gully erosion in that area. Some buildings within the area have collapsed, and farmlands washed away.
“The erosion at Onuiyi-Nsukka has caused havoc especially during rainy season. I am happy money has been budgeted for it,” he said.
He said that N70 million was also proposed in the Federal Government budget for the take-off of a police station and barracks at Nkpologu, Uzowani Local Government Area of the state.
The senator noted that the measure was to checkmate series of robberies and kidnapping that frequently occurred along the Nsukka-Adani road.
“The N70 million is for the take-off since the amount cannot be enough to build a station and barracks.
“The money is for clearing of the area, fencing it and doing some other things the amount can accommodate.
“For some time now, robbers and kidnappers have been terrorising drivers, passengers and other road users on Nsukka-Adani Road.
“The presence of a police station and barracks in that area will stop the inhuman acts of these criminals and hoodlums.
“My greatest concern as senator representing the district is to ensure that lives and property in the area are safe and protected,” he said.
Utazi also said that, at present, the Adani Rice Market and farms were receiving serious attention as the roads leading to them were under construction by the federal government.
According to the senator, other infrastructure in the market and farms were being upgraded for better performance.
Utazi said he sponsored a motion in the senate over the deplorable state of the 9th Mile Corner-Makurdi road and government awarded contract for its dualisation at the cost of N5.4 billion.
“That 9th Mile-Makurdi road is very important since it’s the only link road between the North and the South-East and South-South,” he added.
He urged politicians to put the interest of the country first in their campaigns for the 2019 general elections by avoiding actions and utterances capable of overheating the polity.
“Politicians and political parties in their electioneering campaigns should go straight and tell Nigerians what they can do if voted to power rather than blackmailing and assassinating the images of their political opponents
“We should avoid hate speech as well as tribal and religious sentiments just to achieve cheap popularity.
“If politicians, INEC officials and security agencies play according to rules of engagements, the 2019 general elections will be credible, free and fair,” he said.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-corruption and other Financial Crimes, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Governor of Enugu state, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
He said the governor had massively developed infrastructure and ensured regular payment of salaries in the state in spite of lean resources at his disposal.
“The governor has done well in his first tenure and should be voted for the second term in 2019,” he said
By Hilary Akalugwu
