General News
Abia Rural Roads: Ongoing Projects Part of FG’s $575m RAAMP, Not Solely Abia-Funded, LP Chieftain Nwoko Tells Otti to Give Tinubu Credit
A Labour Party chieftain in Abia State, Emmanuel Nwoko, has urged Governor Alex Otti to acknowledge the role of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government in the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of rural roads across the state under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
Nwoko said it was wrong to create the impression that all the roads being delivered under RAAMP were solely funded by the Abia State Government, noting that the programme is a Federal Government initiative backed largely by financing from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and the French Development Agency (AFD).
In an interview with journalists in Umuahia on Monday, he said Governor Otti deserves credit for providing Abia’s counterpart funding and supporting the implementation of the programme, but argued that the Federal Government, National Assembly and development partners involved should also receive their due credit.
According to Nwoko, the clarification has become necessary because some supporters of the state government routinely cite the ongoing rural road projects as evidence of Otti’s performance while claiming that President Tinubu and the APC-led Federal Government have done nothing for Abia.
“We must be fair to everybody. Governor Otti deserves commendation for paying Abia’s counterpart funding and ensuring that the programme is implemented effectively in the state. But these roads are not solely funded by the Abia State Government,” Nwoko said.
“RAAMP is a Federal Government-initiated programme. The World Bank and AFD are providing substantial financing, the Federal Government has its responsibilities, and the participating states also have their responsibilities. We cannot give one person the credit that belongs to everybody.”
Nwoko pointed to the financing structure of RAAMP, whose original overall project envelope was put at about $575 million, comprising approximately $280 million from the World Bank’s IDA, $230 million equivalent from AFD and about $65 million in government contributions.
He said the funding structure alone should make it clear that RAAMP roads cannot simply be presented as roads financed exclusively from the Abia State treasury.
“When an ordinary Abian sees a road being constructed and is told repeatedly that it is an Otti road, naturally he assumes that the money came entirely from the state government. That is where we need to be honest with our people,” he said.
“Nobody is saying Governor Otti should not take credit. He should. But let the people also know that these particular projects are under RAAMP and understand where the funding comes from.”
The Labour Party chieftain also highlighted the role of the National Assembly in the financing arrangements behind the programme.
He noted that the Senate considered and approved components of the Federal Government’s External Borrowing Rolling Plan in July 2021, with the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project specifically listed among the projects covered.
The borrowing programme included $200 million in World Bank financing for RAAMP, while another €200 million financing component was provided through AFD.
Nwoko said this was important because the sovereign borrowing used for such programmes does not simply appear without going through federal institutions and the required legislative process.
“The National Assembly was involved. Our senators and members of the House of Representatives have constitutional responsibilities when these borrowing plans come before the legislature,” he said.
“I am not saying that a senator should point at a particular RAAMP road and say, ‘I built this road.’ That would also be wrong. But the legislative role of the National Assembly in approving the financing cannot be erased simply because the physical projects are being implemented by a state government.”
Nwoko acknowledged that the Otti administration has committed significant resources to RAAMP.
During the October 2024 flag-off of the 19.1-kilometre Itungwa-Mgboko-Amaise-Amairi-Ahiaba Ubi-Nkwoelechi-Omoba road, Governor Otti disclosed that his administration had paid ₦600 million as counterpart funding for RAAMP.
The governor also announced that the state had released an additional ₦2.6 billion to facilitate effective execution of the project.
Nwoko said those figures represent a significant commitment by the state and should be acknowledged.
“Governor Otti has done what a responsible participating state government is expected to do, and he deserves credit for that. The national leadership of RAAMP even commended Abia for the prompt release of counterpart funds,” he said.
“But there is a difference between saying Abia has contributed substantially to a project and saying Abia solely funded the project.
“If the state released ₦600 million as counterpart funding and another ₦2.6 billion to facilitate implementation, tell the people. If the World Bank and AFD are providing hundreds of millions of dollars for the wider programme, tell the people that too. That is how government should communicate with citizens.”
RAAMP Predates Otti, Tinubu
Nwoko also clarified that RAAMP was not created by either Governor Otti or President Tinubu.
The programme and its financing arrangements predate the two administrations, with the World Bank approving financing in 2020 and the AFD loan agreement also dating back to 2020.
He, however, argued that this does not mean the present Federal Government should receive no recognition for continuing the programme.
“Government is a continuum. President Tinubu did not create RAAMP and Governor Otti did not create RAAMP. But today, Tinubu heads the Federal Government under which the federal side of the programme is continuing, while Otti heads the participating state government implementing it in Abia,” he said.
“If we are prepared to give the present Abia government credit for implementing an inherited programme, then we should also be fair enough to acknowledge the present Federal Government for continuing its own side of that same inherited programme.”
‘This Is About Giving Credit Where It Is Due’
Nwoko said his position should not be interpreted as an attempt to diminish the work of the Otti administration.
He maintained that his concern was the growing political narrative that every road project currently being executed in Abia should be counted exclusively as an achievement of the governor, irrespective of its funding source.
“You cannot use RAAMP roads to tell us how much Governor Otti is doing and, in the next breath, tell the same Abians that President Tinubu and the Federal Government are doing absolutely nothing in the state,” Nwoko said.
“Where a road is 100 per cent funded by the Abia State Government, give Governor Otti 100 per cent of the credit. Nobody should take that away from him. Where it is a Federal Government project, say so. Where it is NDDC, say so. And where it is RAAMP, tell the people that it is a Federal Government-initiated programme supported by the World Bank and AFD, with Abia State providing counterpart funding and handling implementation at the state level. That is not politics. It is simply giving credit where it is due.”
Nwoko urged political leaders and their supporters to avoid turning development projects into instruments of partisan propaganda, saying Abians stand to benefit more when the different tiers of government work together.
“At the end of the day, these roads belong to Abians. Whether the money comes through the Federal Government, the state government or development partners, our people are the beneficiaries. But when we discuss performance and begin to allocate credit, we must be truthful about who did what and who paid what.
“Governor Otti deserves his credit. President Tinubu and the Federal Government deserve theirs. Our federal lawmakers should also be acknowledged for the role of the National Assembly, while the World Bank and AFD deserve recognition for providing substantial financing. We don’t have to diminish one person to recognise another. All we are asking for is fairness.”