It was a jubilant atmosphere across Ideato communities on Thursday as residents in small clusters, cheered and celebrated their representative, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, alongside President Bola Tinubu, Works Minister Senator Dave Umahi, and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, following the Federal Government’s approval of the Oba–Uga–Akokwa–Arondizuogu–Okigwe road, with many insisting that the lawmaker’s “endless advocacy, motions, and persistent pressure on the minister have finally paid off.”
The approval, which President Tinubu granted for the design and procurement of the 150-kilometre Oba–Nnewi–Uga–Ihube (Okigwe Junction) dual carriageway, came after weeks of intense engagement between the Federal Government and the Anambra State Government. Governor Soludo had met with the President on July 1, 2026, and submitted a formal proposal on July 3, with the Minister of Works conveying the President’s green light to the state on July 15. The road, which will link Anambra and Imo states to the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway and beyond, is expected to drastically reduce travel time, boost trade, and integrate the Southeast with the South-South and North-Central regions.
For the people of Ideato, however, the celebration is deeply personal. The road had become a harrowing symbol of governmental neglect – treacherous potholes that swallowed vehicles, erosion gullies that threatened farmlands, and a stretch so desolate that armed robbers operated with impunity, turning daily travels into nightmares. Hon. Ugochinyere had made the rehabilitation of this route his signature legislative battle, moving several motions on the floor of the House and, according to sources close to the lawmaker, mounting relentless pressure on the Works Minister , Senator Umahi through letters, visits, and phone calls until the minister made good his promise to prioritize the project.
The lawmaker’s motion which had painted a grim picture of the road as a “death trap” and warned of worsening conditions with the onset of the rainy season, was unanimously adopted by the House after receiving strong backing from Hon. Uche Elodimuo, Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, and Hon. Dom Okafor. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas thereafter referred the motion to the House Committee on Works, a move that Hon. Ugochinyere says provided the final push needed to secure the approval.
Speaking to kinsmen who had gathered to commend him, the Ideato lawmaker expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for what he called a “historic and life-saving decision,” while also praising Senator Umahi for his accessibility and responsiveness to legislative pressure. He equally acknowledged Governor Soludo for his strategic partnership with the Federal Government, which he said created the enabling environment for the approval to materialize.
“I have said it before and I will say it again, this road was not just a national disgrace; it was an open grave for our people. But today, our endless advocacy, our motions on the floor, our meetings, and our persistent pressure on the Minister of Works have all paid off,” Hon. Ugochinyere declared.
“I salute Mr. President for listening. I thank Senator Umahi for not turning a deaf ear to our cries. I commend Governor Soludo for his seamless collaboration. And I appreciate Speaker Abbas for his fatherly guidance. This victory belongs to every Ideato man and woman who kept faith with us.”
Community leaders, youth groups, and market associations from Ideato North and South lauded the lawmaker’s doggedness, describing the approval as a direct dividend of effective representation. They noted that the highway, once completed, will not only save countless lives but will also revive agricultural value chains, reduce post-harvest losses, and open up the region to new economic opportunities.
The Oba–Uga–Akokwa–Arondizuogu–Okigwe road is now set to proceed to the design and procurement phase, with the Federal Ministry of Works and the Anambra State Government coordinating to ensure timely delivery of the project that residents have eagerly awaited for decades.
