Stakeholders Seek New Road Link to Benue, Say Project Will Reopen Abandoned Farmlands
The people of Ikem community in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State have declared their support for the re-election of Governor Peter Mbah and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2027 general elections.
The declaration was made during the APC campaign team’s visit to Ward 1, Ikem Uno, as part of the party’s mobilisation ahead of the forthcoming local government elections in the state.
Community stakeholders commended Governor Mbah for what they described as his administration’s developmental interventions across Enugu State, particularly the construction of the Owo-Neke-Ikem Road.
According to the stakeholders, the road project has demonstrated the governor’s commitment to improving infrastructure and opening up rural communities across the state.
They, however, appealed to the governor to consider the construction of another major road linking several communities in Ikem to Benue State.
Stakeholder Appeals for Strategic Road Project
Speaking during the campaign visit, an APC stakeholder and supporter of the party’s chairmanship candidate, Dr. Dave Nnamani, urged Governor Mbah to consider executing the proposed road project in collaboration with the incoming Isi-Uzo Local Government Council administration.
Nnamani said the road would run from Ukwumango through Ikem Ogor, Ikem Nkwo, Ashiebo, Odobido Ikem, Odenigbo and Eha-Amufu, terminating at Ahube Water, which he identified as the Enugu-Benue boundary under Legal Notice 126 of 1954.
He argued that the project would have significant economic and social benefits for the area by opening up rural communities, improving transportation and creating opportunities for agriculture and other economic activities.
According to him, the road would also create conditions for residents of communities including Odobido, Orene, Ekor and Ishiador to return to their ancestral lands, which he said had been abandoned since 1970 due to hostilities.
Road to Connect Three States
Nnamani further noted that the proposed road could serve as an important regional link between Enugu, Ebonyi and Benue states, while also facilitating movement to other parts of northern Nigeria.
He urged Governor Mbah to liaise with the incoming Isi-Uzo council administration and consider the project as part of the state’s broader efforts to advance its agrarian policy.
“We appreciate other developmental projects embarked upon by Governor Mbah which have affected many lives in the state. We are going to reciprocate the gesture through our mobilisation to re-elect the governor and other APC candidates in Isi-Uzo LGA,” Nnamani said.
He maintained that improved road infrastructure would enhance agricultural production by making it easier for farmers to transport their produce to markets and encouraging residents to return to previously abandoned communities.
Ikem Backs APC Candidates
The APC chairmanship candidate, Chief Brendan Ani, was accompanied during the campaign visit by the party’s candidate for Isi-Uzo State Constituency, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, and its candidate for Isi-Uzo/Enugu East Federal Constituency, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga.
The people of Ikem expressed support for the candidates, reaffirming their confidence in the APC leadership and its candidates ahead of the forthcoming elections.
The endorsement also extended to Governor Mbah and President Tinubu, with community members pledging to mobilise support for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development underscores the growing importance of Isi-Uzo in the political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, as political parties intensify grassroots mobilisation across Enugu State.
For Ikem community, however, the political endorsement appears to be closely tied to expectations of continued government attention to infrastructure, agriculture and the reopening of communities that have remained largely inaccessible for decades.
