Speaking at the contract signing ceremony in Awka, the commissioner for Works and Housing, Mr Emeka Ejikeme, said the contract would be executed in phases.

He said the first phase of seven roads would be constructed at the residential areas of the state capital, while two would be constructed at the commercial part of the city.

The commissioner said one of the roads in the commercial part of the city, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Avenue, would be dualised, while the second road, Arthur Eze Avenue, would be expanded.

He said all the roads would have street lights and culverts and would be built with asphalt overlay.

Ejikeme said since the creation of the state in 1991, this would be the first time roads in Awka would be getting serious attention.

He said government would not pull down houses along the roads during the dualling, but warned that any house which contravened the building bye-law would be pulled down.

In his speech, Mr Salim Aoude, Managing Director of Sagez Nigeria Ltd., the company that won the contract, said the company was already on site.

“We are going to work day and night to complete the project in record time. We will use the project to prove our competence and ability.