Ossy Prestige And The OHANKU Road Controversy: The truth

By Anya C. Anya

Post election period are not times for politicking through propaganda but occasion when the needed dividends of democracy promised Abians are and should be released to them  .

But most politicians are not used to this, propaganda they assume is part of politics and whatever it takes to score cheap popularity they engage in without recourse to the damage and Controversy it will generate .


So also is the Controversy beclouding the OHANKU Road construction at the moment where the state government  is utilizing this opportunity to score cheap popularity in a bid to interpret Ossy Prestige as not being able to complete the project .

The Hon. Ossy Prestige I know  is a man of honour who does not relent on his promises to his contituency but very much commimited to delivery the needed infractrutural development to Aba and it's environs .

The OHANKU Road is a federal government project attracted through the office of Hon. Ossy Prestige who is the member representing Aba North /South Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives and supervised by the federal ministry of works . You will recall on 24th April 2017 , AFNews  brought you a report titled"
HON. OSSY PRESTIGE RECONSTRUCTS ABANDONED OHANKU ROAD, FIXES STREET LIGHTS, PROVIDED BOREHOLE WATER" with attached  (PHOTOS).

In the report we told you how " Residents of Ohanku road along Ngwa road axis in Aba, Abia State could not express enough of their joy when Hon. Ossy Prestige came around to inspect the road construction taking place there which was attracted by him as the House member representing Aba North and South at the Federal House of Representative in Abuja.It should be remembered that the road has been abandoned for a while, but the national assembly member representing Aba North and South took it upon himself and yesterday the first phase of the reconstruction was completed with the Second phase kicking off soon" .

In the report published in our Facebook page we reported that "The road is fitted with drainage system, solar street light and a Water Borehole to meet the water needs of the people living around the area.During a brief media chat with Abia Facts Newspaper, Hon. Prestige said he has graded over 150 roads, built more than 20 borehole".

As promised, on 1st of March 2020, we brought you another report with attached video concerning the second phase of the project where Hon Rotary Ossy Prestige was inspecting the second phase of the project and it was published also in our website.

Hon Ossy Prestige who is representing the contituency involved and who attracted the OHANKU Road construction project is yet to claim full completion of the project , neither has he abadoned the project but very much commimited to it's completion . Infant information available from  a reliable source said the last phase of the project was soon to kick off before this controversial visit of the Catholic Reverend Father to the scene .


It's worthy to note that The honorable member representing Aba North/South at the federal house of representative, Honorable Prestige Ossy just  flagged off and inspected the progress of work at the second phase Ohanku road construction on March 1st 2020 . Don't forget that the first phase which was also attracted by Honorable Prestige Ossy was completed months back and the honorable member had assured residents of that vicinity that the second phase will start soon.the promise was kept as the second phase eventually started.

During the inspection of the second phase Hon. Ossy Prestige took time to appreciate the resident of Ohanku road for thier patience with him and the contractor s handling the project,He urged them to keep cooperating   with the contractor and likewise warned against any form of extortion.

It is therefore  unpresidented to wrap this project in a bad light knowing the good intentions of the person who attracted it. It is on record that the project was attracted by Hon. Ossy Prestige who has gone far with the completion  but it does not matter who complete  it , what Abians need is infractrutural development acoss the Enyimba city .

AFNews investigation revealed that the road project was not abadoned , but they have been several attempt by the state government to either frustrate the delivery of the project or take it over , it will interest you to know that the state government started with the spread of the news that it was not attracted by Hon. Prestige but  actually the Niger Delta Development Commission that was constructing the road . Not untill the road was commissioned and the billboard mounted without any trace of NDDC name to it that it became clearer that the project was through Hon. Ossy Prestige

Abia Tracker also discovered that  few months before the last general election, that the Dr Okezie Ikpeazu led administration hired one Mr Ifeanyi Okoji who took tractors to the site and granted a press conference claiming that the road project has been re-awarded to him by the state government meaning the state government was taken over the project .but we never saw them

We equally discovered that The contractor handling the road project is still on site but according to him , there was few things that delayed the completion of the project ,first " the OHANKU by Akoli axis of the road has a big tunnel constructed by the late Sam Mbakwe administration  through which water was channel to River side but the tunnel had been blocked with refuse, the major force was on the re-opening of the tunnel to allow the free flow of water from Ohanku to River side  as the master plan is , we did that but that was also one among the thing that delayed the completion of  project"

The contractor in continuation noted also that " the typical Aba landlord is not helping matters , most of them constructed shops and fences across the drainage system which is interrupting the smooth flow of the construction work , we met several of them to negotiate on possible ways to remove the shop and the fences interupting the progress of the work ,that is where we are before the controversial visit of the Catholic priest to the site "

The basic fact though regrettable is that the state government had always planned to disrupt the project , or take over the project , the incidence was actually an ample opportunity presented to them once again to score cheap popularity and use blackmail to take glory for another man's effort

Is it not  suspicious that few hours after the controversial prayer by the Catholic priest, that the state government already marshal out contractors to the site again as they have done before ? What else can we say except that there is more to it than you are seeing and hearing . it  is quite  unfortunate that this would be coming from  the state government  who should be seeking for a way  to partner with Hon. Ossy Prestige  to Change the face of the Enyimba city

Such partnership by the state government would have been  a welcome development which all lovers of good things  would appreciate since it will expedite action on the OHANKU Road construction and make Abians happy.it is therefore needful that we revealed the fact to you since the state government has always been looking for a way to paint a goat black simply to hang it . It would be better if the right thing is done while unnecessary propaganda should  removed from it.