Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, on Tuesday said the state was yet to receive the bailout funds from the Federal Government.
The governor spoke while inaugurating the construction of the Abakpa-Nike Lake road in Enugu.
“We have not received any money in the name of bailout from the Federal Government,” Ugwuanyi said.
However, Enugu State Executive Council and the State House of Assembly, had, in September, authorised the state government to procure a total sum of about N14.2bn from the bailout fund through the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The money was meant for the liquidation of outstanding salaries, as well as infrastructural and developmental projects.
Also on Tuesday, Ugwuanyi inaugurated the construction of a by-pass at 9th Mile, a major transit hub linking the state to the northern part of the country.
The by-pass is expected to ease traffic gridlock in the area.
In an address at the event, the governor said he decided to embark on the project due to the strategic nature of the road.
Also, according to him, the construction of the by-pass was in line with his campaign promises.
Ugwuanyi said he was aware of the “persistent complaints over the dismal state of the road and the threat it posed to the lives and economic activities of the people.”
“In my inaugural speech, I particularly mentioned the 9th Mile area as one of the areas that this administration would pay special attention to.
“This was in recognition of its potentials as wells as problems and challenges associated with its geographically and economically strategic location,” he added.
The governor expressed hope that, when completed and put in use, the by-pass would address the excruciating traffic congestion at 9th Mile corner, and also offer a viable alternative to the “often excessively busy road,” particularly during festive periods.
The construction of the by-pass at the 9th Mile corner is among a number of road projects embarked upon by the Enugu State Government, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Mr. Louis Amoke.(Punch)
