Former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has expressed regret over the challenges faced during the construction of Faulks Road in Abia State, citing COVID-19 lockdowns and the EndSARS protests as major factors that led to the road’s early failure. Speaking candidly, Ikpeazu explained how his decision to prioritize the immediate needs of the people over strict engineering recommendations resulted in a setback.
“I tried to do Faulks Road with SETRACO, and that is one of my regrets,” Ikpeazu admitted. “SETRACO did the drainage, completed six and a half kilometers, and the road was looking beautiful. But then COVID-19 hit, and everything was shut down. Markets like Ariaria were closed, and the people suffered through the construction.”
After the COVID-19 lockdowns, the EndSARS protests added to the tension. “People transferred their anger and frustration from being locked down to demanding that I open the road for public use,” he said. “Technically and engineering-wise, it was a wrong decision. SETRACO warned me repeatedly that if I opened the road before placing the wearing coat, it would fail.”
Ikpeazu explained that despite SETRACO’s warnings, he chose to open the road to alleviate the suffering of the people, who had been unable to access markets for an extended period. “The benevolent part of me overtook me. I said, ‘open the road, let me bear the cost of whatever damage might happen.’ As predicted, the road failed,” he recounted.
The former governor faced public criticism for the decision but turned the situation around by adopting a new approach. “With the treatment SETRACO gave, we wouldn’t have gotten lasting results at Ama Ikonne and Samek junctions. When I returned, I decided to use cement technology, and that’s why the road has now survived at least four rainy seasons,” Ikpeazu noted.
While the Faulks Road project remains a point of reflection for Ikpeazu, he emphasized that lessons learned from the experience have since contributed to more durable infrastructure in the state.
