The Federal Government has been commended for rehabilitating internal road network at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The university community showed its appreciation during the symbolic handing over ceremony of 2.2km of roads rehabilitated in the university by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
The rehabilitation of the roads was done to enhance quality of education in the institution and to bring succor to the users, said the Minister in charge, Babatunde Fashola.
According to a statement issued today by the Ministry’s Director of Press & Public Relations, Boade Akinola, the Works Minister, who was represented at the event by the Federal Controller of Works, Enugu State, Engr. Olufemi Oyekami, stated: “We are steadily reducing the gap of Nigeria’s infrastructural needs by the gradual process of repair, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached the school.”
He explained that 18 out of the 43 on-going road intervention projects had been completed.
According to him, “today we hand over this one as a critical contribution to support education.”
He added that no fewer than 27 people were directly employed in the course of the job, thereby contributing to the job creation initiative of the Federal Government.
The Minister disclosed that similar road rehabilitation projects were going on at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu and the Federal University of Health and Dental Technology, Enugu.
He urged the university community to ensure that the roads were properly used and maintained.
In his response, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Igwe, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Pat Okpoko described the rehabilitation project as laudable and beneficial.
He noted that the rehabilitated internal roads would ease access within the campus, improve communication, the ambiance of the environment and restore the dignity of man.
He appealed for more Federal Government road interventions in the institution as some other roads were also dilapidated due to age.
“Our infrastructure is weak due to age. The Federal Government may wish to consider our size and age in sharing the number of roads intervention among tertiary institutions across the nation”, he said.
The President of the Students Union Government, Comr. Chimezie Fortnatus, thanked the Minister on behalf of the students, saying that the project has brought relief to over 40,000 well-meaning students of the institution who are positive-minded.
He added that the appreciation was an application for more, as he requested the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to rehabilitate and build more internal roads for the university community to ease movement on the campus.
The three rehabilitated roads in the institution are: 1,040-meters Ikejiani Road, 400-meters Ugwuegede Road and 580-meters Engineering-Odim Gate Road.
