Abandoned Port Harcourt Road Received Funding, Ikpeazu Commissioner Confirms
The former Commissioner for Finance during the Okezie Ikpeazu administration, Mr. Obinna Oriaku has confirmed that funds were released for the construction of the abandoned Port Harcourt road.
He stated this on Thursday.
The former commissioner however differed on the sum that was released to the construction company he named as Heartland Construction Limited but failed to provide explanations why the construction work did not start at all.
Oriaku said ₦3.2bn was released not the sum of ₦9bn for the construction of Port Harcourt road.
He said he would love to see any evidence to the contrary that “Heartland Construction received more than ₦3.2 billion for the Port Harcourt Road project which represents 32.6% of the total contract sum.
Recall that Governor Otti had Wednesday revealed that the sum of N9.8bn was disbursed in 2017 for the reconstruction of the Port Harcourt Road in Aba—yet no work was ever carried out.
The Governor disclosed this during the “Promise Kept Carnival” held at Umuagbai Secondary School, Port Harcourt Road, Aba. The event, attended by a cross-section of dignitaries, government officials, business leaders, and residents, marked the formal celebration of the completion of the once-abandoned road project, which had been neglected for more than three decades.
“In 2017, this road was awarded for N9.8bn and the entire sum was paid. But not a single stone was turned. Nothing was done. It is both disheartening and shameful,” Governor Otti declared.
“We decided not to dwell on the past but to correct it. And in 2025, we have completed this road at N36.5 billion. Now let’s talk about value: In 2017, N9.8bn at N333 to a dollar amounted to about $29 million. In 2025, N36.5 billion at N1,600 to the dollar is around $22.8 million.
“We spent less in dollar terms and delivered a world-class road. That is what accountability and integrity mean.”
Abandoned Port Harcourt Road Received Funding, Ikpeazu Commissioner Confirms is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
