Flood: Anambra Govt Refutes “False Stories” On Ochanja-Iweka Road

By Daniel Dafe

The Anambra State Government has addressed what it described as a misinformation circulating online concerning the Ochanja-Iweka Road project in the state.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday signed by Christian Aburime, Press Secretary to the Governor.

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,” the statement added.

The statement reads: “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 Ochanja-Iweka Road, currently under construction, was also impacted.

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“Contrary to the misrepresentations of the viral video and accompanying insinuations, the washed-out area of the road is less than two feet of recently asphalted pavement. Besides, the Ochanja-Iweka Road remains an active construction site, with work ongoing even during the heavy downpour yesterday.

“The brief vulnerability of the newly paved section is attributed to insufficient curing time before the heavy rain due to the construction schedule. Also, a silted drainage system caused the accumulation of water that affected the small, unfinished section while the road’s solid stone base, throughout its entire length, remains completely intact.

“Thus the trending video deliberately includes misleading footage of a different, already existing road that is not under construction.

“The Ochanja-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.”

Anambra government thus urged the public to disregard “the misinformation campaign accompanying the misleading video,” saying that “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,” the statement concluded.