Umahi Suspends Ebonyi Ring-Road Project Over Insecurity

Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, has suspended  work on the Ebonyi Ring-Road project in Effium, Ohaukwu LGA of the state for seven days over security threats.

The governor also threatened to shut down any of the ring roads project sites where security of construction workers and equipment were being threatened.

Umahi announced the suspension on Wednesday in Abakaliki at an expanded security meeting held at the new Government House, Centenary City, Abakaliki.

The expanded security meeting was attended by heads of security services, local government chairmen, Coordinators of Development Centres among others.

He said that activities on the site would be put on hold for seven days to enable the government sort out issues of insecurity with stakeholders of the affected area.

Umahi said: “Activities on the site are suspended for seven days to enable me clear the issue of security.

” If the stakeholders fail to abide by what we said, the job will be terminated. I cannot be here and guarantee security of the lives of the people I am putting on site; they have to give me that commitment.

“It is just that we don’t listen, we could have had this kind of meeting much earlier before now and we said for any site to resume, there should be this kind of commitment and the contractors should have insisted for this commitment from the locals.

”Nobody is coming from outside to attack. So far, we have not had record on insecurity in the axis of 135/Ezza North, Ezza North to Ezza South-Ikwo-Abakaliki-Izzi-Ebonyi LGAs.

“Where we believe we have problems will be the axis of Effium in Ohaukwu LGA.

“The entire Ring road project is being threatened and I will be willing to shut down any of the sections that will not comply to my directive today."

The governor demanded for a sworn affidavit from stakeholders hosting sections of the projects in their various communities.