Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said construction of the proposed Ukwa seaport will not begin until his administration secures the funds required to complete it, stressing that he will not initiate a project that risks stalling midway.
Speaking when members of the Ezumezu Ndoki Patriotic Association from Ukwa East paid him a courtesy visit, Otti explained that a recent feasibility report from a Chinese technical team showed the project would require extensive dredging — about 19.5 kilometres to the high sea — far more than initially projected.
“This type of work requires a substantial amount of money,” the governor said. “We will not start the seaport project until we are very sure we have the funds to complete it. Before we embark on any project, we must be certain of its viability and of our capacity to fund it.”
He noted that the state had already secured the necessary approvals and licences, but that his government had returned “to the drawing board” in light of the new cost implications.
Otti also addressed concerns about road infrastructure in Ukwa East, assuring residents that no project would be abandoned. He cited ongoing works on the Akirika-Obu road, which connects Abia to Akwa Ibom, as well as the Obohia road, where a blocked tunnel forced the state to design a new drainage system into the Aba River.
“About some of the roads you mentioned, there is no road we are terminating midway,” he told the delegation. “If you go to Obohia road today, you will see that construction is underway.”
Earlier, Ukwa East Mayor Chibunna Akara praised the governor’s performance and pledged his people’s support. Chief Israel Ahunanya, president of the Ezumezu Ndoki Patriotic Association, described the group as a long-time political power broker in the area and urged Otti to entrust them with his 2027 re-election campaign in the council.
While commending the governor’s development efforts, Ahunanya pressed him to fast-track stalled road projects and the Ukwa seaport initiative, arguing that they are crucial to the region’s economic future.
