ANAMBRA GOVERNMENT REFUTES FALSE STORIES ON OCHANJA-IWEKA ROAD DAMAGED BY FLOOD
The Anambra State Government has addressed misinformation circulating online concerning the Moore Street -Iweka Road project passing through Ochanja in Onitsha, Anambra state.
A recent video trending on social media and recycled by mainstream media depicts a washed-out portion of the road due to flood, accompanied by false claims that the road was poorly constructed and commissioned weeks ago by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR.
We categorically state that these claims are not true.
Following heavy rainfall on Monday 25, March 2024, which caused uprooted trees, downed electrical poles, and damage to public infrastructure across the state, a section of the Moore Street -Iweka Road, currently under construction was alleged to be affected.
Contrary to the misrepresentations of the viral video and accompanying insinuations, that a portion of the road was washed off. This is completely false.
What happened was that the contractor was laying the last bit of asphalt on the paver when it started to rain, and the base course on which the asphalt was laid was wet.
When the contractor noticed that the base course was wet, he cut off the portion that was laid on the wet surface and used it to fill the adjoining street, ( MENAX Road) of which the mischief maker video captured as part of the roads commissioned.
The cut off section is less that 600mm. This cutting of asphalt laid on wet surface is in line with the best practice and shows the compliance with international standards
It is important to state the flood occasioned by the heavy downpour and the flood from the blocked culvert did not affect the road pavement of the road as laid and witness by all
Thus the trending video deliberately includes misleading footage of a different, already existing road that is not under construction.
The Moore Street -Iweka Road project is neither finished nor commissioned by Governor Soludo. He has only commissioned the Port Harcourt Road and Niger Street Road in Onitsha South LGA, both of which are demonstrably well-built and functional.
We urge the public to disregard the misinformation campaign accompanying the misleading video. It is a blatant attempt to distort reality and spread fake news.
Governor Soludo is firmly committed to delivering high-quality road infrastructure that will stand the test of time.
Signed,
Christian Aburime
Press Secretary to the Governor
March 26, 2024