Heavy rainfall has washed away Ochanja Road, a newly constructed road in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria.
The road, constructed by Governor Charles Soludo’s administration in Anambra State, was reportedly commissioned barely a week ago.
The road is one of the access roads to the popular Onitsha Main Market and Ochanja Market in Onitsha South Local Government Area of the state.
It was washed away after the heavy rainfall on Monday evening, a video clip, circulating on social media, has shown.
“Soludo see it. This is Ochanja Road by Menas Junction which was constructed barely a week ago. Shortly after completion, the only rain that fell in the evening of today 25 March 2024, the road is now washed (away),” a voice said in Igbo language in the background of the clip.
Another newly constructed road flooded
Apart from the Ochanja Road, Iweka Road was also flooded after the rainfall, another clip showed.
The Iweka Road was said to have also been commissioned barely a week ago by Mr Soludo.
In the clip seen by PREMIUM TIMES, flood covered one lane of the road with stranded residents struggling to move about. Some motorists were compelled by the situation to use one lane of the dual carriageway while an SUV vehicle appeared trapped in the flooded road.
Some shop owners within the area confirmed the developments to PREMIUM TIMES, Tuesday morning.
‘They’re ongoing projects’
When contacted on Tuesday, Ejiofor Opara, a media aide to Governor Soludo, said, contrary to reports, works were still in progress on the roads before the rainfall.
Mr Opara said those who recorded the video clips were simply being mischievous in claiming that the roads had been commissioned by the governor.
“The only roads that the governor has commissioned in Onitsha South Local Government Area are Port Harcourt (Street) Road and Niger Street and they are still very strong and solid,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.
“Those roads are construction sites. At one point, they were laying the asphalt not less than two feet on the (Ochanja) Road, then rain came and washed it off,” Mr Opara added.
The media aide argued that the ongoing Ochanja Road project was affected by the rain because the gutters beside it were filled with refuse.
The gutters in the area have, however, been de-silted, he said.
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