By Nkechinyere Ewa, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Government has directed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ben Odo, to conclude the termination of all abandoned and uncompleted 2km road contracts across the state’s communities as part of efforts to fast-track infrastructure delivery.
The directive was one of the key decisions reached at the State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting presided over by Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Barr Ikeuwa Omebeh, alongside the Attorney General, Dr. Ben Odo, and the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Oguzor Offia-Nwali, said the termination process must be completed before the close of work on Wednesday.
Omebeh explained that the government had constituted special executive committees for each of the 13 local government areas to immediately take over and ensure the completion of the affected road projects before September 2026.
He added that the Commissioner for Special Projects, Ngozi Obichukwu, had been directed to compile a comprehensive inventory of all uncompleted 2km road projects across the state to guide further government action.
The EXCO also approved the transmission of executive bills to the Ebonyi State House of Assembly seeking to regulate the activities of house agents, tenancy practices, and the sale of metal and electrical scraps.
According to Omebeh, the proposed legislation is aimed at addressing arbitrary charges by house agents, curbing rising house rents, and sanitising the property sector.
He said under the proposed law, no registered or unregistered house agent would be allowed to charge more than two per cent of the total rent as agency fee.
“The law is intended to protect residents from exploitative practices by house agents and ensure that agency fees remain reasonable and affordable,” he said.
On scrap metal trading, Omebeh said the proposed law would regulate the buying, selling, possession, transportation and disposal of metal and electrical scraps in the state.
He noted that the measure is designed to curb vandalism of public infrastructure, promote public safety and protect the environment through a more coordinated regulatory framework.