A telecommunication Company, MTN in collaboration with Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra State, held a joint press conference to temporarily open partially/completed sections of the Enugu – Onitsha dual carriageway to ease traffic for travellers during this yuletide.
Speaking at the event, Dr Reginald Facah, MTN Coordinator Community Liaison Initiative said, “community liaison is simply a go-between function between two or more person, groups and institutions with an intention at ensuring that mutual benefits, fairness, justice and a joint sense of ownership pervade the relationship.
“It is a concept more deployed by oil companies in the Niger Delta region; but MTN brought it to play in the rehabilitation of the Enugu – Onitsha dual carriageway to ensure that the peoples and communities along the project corridor as well as critical stakeholders get a feeling of inclusiveness and ownership during and after the course of the project in their vicinity.”
Facah stated that MTN Community Liaison Initiative model began when in late October 2023 when MTN Nigeria Communications PLC (MTN) appointed Crown Crest Global Engineers Ltd (CCGE) as the Community Liaison Manager (Consultants) of the RITC Project which involves the repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of the 107km x 2 Onitsha – Enugu Dual Carriageway.
“This particular CLI is a baby of MTN Communications Nigeria Ltd, and its major function is to assess the impact of the road rehabilitation exercise on the people and communities along the work corridor and see how the experience can be mutually beneficial to all the stakeholders involved and affected by the road rehabilitation work.
“December and the Christmas season have seen unimaginable suffering on the parts of commuters and drivers on this same road. Indeed, very many southeasterners do not bother to do the end of year homecoming ritual because the deplorable state of the roads in the southeast has further exacerbated the security situation. However, with today’s opening of the Amawbia to Nteje junction section and the opening of the Amawbia flyover, as well as tomorrow’s opening of the 9th Mile stretch in Enugu State, an untrammeled driving experience is once again here for human and vehicular traffic which are usually heavy during this period.”
The Sector Commander FRSC Anambra State, Adeoye A. Irelewuyi said, “At festive periods like we are, this section has also experienced very serious traffic jam as the slightest obstruction to traffic flow usually causes a pile-up in both directions. It is therefore with great joy and relief that the Anambra state Command of the FRSC is marking this occasion of the temporary opening of this section.
“We surely believe that it will ease the traffic jam usually experienced at the Amawbia flyover and underpass as well as reduce Road Traffic Crash (RTC) on the stretch.
The Sector Commander appealed to the people of Anambra state and indeed all road users that may be traversing Anambra during and after this period to always exercise patience.
For his part, the senior manager sales, MTN, Mr Emmanuel Okereke said that MTN is excited to partner with the federal government on road infrastructure tax credit scheme to complete the rehabilitation of the Enugu -Onitsha express way.
“The road does not only connect Enugu and Anambra State. It is a gateway to the rest of the country and Africa.
“Our commitment is to deliver an expressway that will be the pride of every Igbo man and Nigerians in general.”
Engineer Oladapo Feyisitan, representative of OVE ARUP and partners Nigeria limited – Project Management Consultant who promised timely delivery, appreciated MTN for their benovelence.
“We are grateful to be grateful to be assigned project management consultant on their project. We have found a very solid partnership with the federal ministry of works and the sub contractor which is RCC.”
Earlier, the Anambra State commissioner for transport Mrs Patricia Igwebuike, lauded MTN for their timely intervention and encouraged road users to use the road with caution especially this yuletide
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