Agony In South-East As Most Federal Roads Collapse

DRIVING by means of many of the federal roads that crisscross the South-East geopolitical zone has turn into very agonizing. The Enugu-Onitsha, Onitsha Owerri, Aba-Owerri, Owerri-Umuahia, Enugu-Abakaliki, Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe, amongst many others are in deplorable situation.

As an illustration, the journey from Enugu to Onitsha which, within the good previous days, used to take lower than one hour now takes about six hours. Similar for Enugu-Aba and Onitsha-Owerri.

In reality, motorists have completely deserted the 82 Division- ninth mile part of the degraded Enugu-Onitsha expressway, as a consequence of its impassibility, thereby forcing commuters to overuse the only lane of Trans-Ekulu bridge, which frequently leads to a horrible gridlock all day spherical.

In Enugu, each lanes of the street from Abakpa junction are in grave degradation such that automobiles, significantly heavy obligation vehicles are in fixed breakdowns on the street thereby compounding visitors issues within the space.

Water tankers who supply the town’s water provide from ninth mile have ugly experiences on the unhealthy street and which caused hike within the value of water provide to residents.

In Anambra, the Amansea portion of the Enugu –Onitsha expressway has been became cash making spot as scores of youths assemble there every single day to push automobiles caught within the mud for negotiated charges on the dilapidated street.

Drivers are additionally bemoaning their destiny as their automobiles may generally stay within the mud for days as towing automobiles cannot even entry the realm.

The portion, which has turn into a demise lure regardless of guarantees made up to now that it might be reconstructed as a part of the continuing work from Onitsha –to Enugu, has turn into a nightmare to motorists and passengers.

The event has put a lot stress on the previous Onitsha –Enugu street with the attendant visitors gridlock witnessed on every day foundation.

Many automobiles, significantly vehicles, have needed to stay within the mud for days because the drivers and house owners of products being conveyed by the drivers undergo financial losses.A few of the youths who now generate profits by pushing out automobiles from the mud say they make as a lot as N15000 every day.

One of many drivers, Mallam Isa Aminu, whose lorry had been trapped within the mud for 3 days stated he’s praying that there wouldn’t be additional rainfall within the subsequent few to in order that the realm may dry to allow him drive out.

He stated that he couldn’t afford the amount of cash being demanded by the youths and urged authorities to return to assistance from the drivers by making the realm a precedence within the ongoing reconstruction of the Onitsha –Enugu expressway.

For Imo State, to say that federal roads within the space are deplorable, is to state the apparent. Although residents of the state and those that ply the roads o could also be stated to have heaved a sigh of aid from what the scenario was in 2018/2019; it’s nonetheless an unsightly expertise to ply the Owerri-Umuahia street and Owerri – Aba street.

Earlier than the ousted Emeka Ihedioha administration got here on board in 2019, it was a nightmare to journey by means of the Owerri – Umuahia street. The Imo a part of the street was completely damaged.

At a degree, motorists resorted to taking a bypass by means of villages in Emekuku and Obowo to chop off the unhealthy federal street till the state authorities did a remedial work on the street.

The street has since gone unhealthy once more.. A journey that must take one hour, now takes two hours. The Emekuku in Owerri North, Oboama Nguru in Aboh Mbaise and Achingali in Obowo areas of the street are the worst parts of the street.

The Owerri finish of the Owerri – Aba street and the Ulakwo axis have turn into impassable regardless of the truth that.the state authorities did remedial work on the street some years in the past.

In Abia State, the Osisioma to Port Harcourt axis of the twin carriage street may move because the worst part of the freeway as commuters dread plying the route.

The continued rehabilitation work which started from the Enugu finish since January 2015 on the twilight of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has been crawling on snail velocity for near seven years now.

The Abia axis of the freeway was segmented into two and awarded to 2 separate development companies apparently for swift execution, however the gradual tempo of the work appears to have defeated that intention.

The situation of the freeway between Aba and Obigbo in Rivers State, significantly at Ariaria Junction, Alaojii Mechanic Village and Asa axis is hellish. The expressway has nearly collapsed in these recognized parts making motion undesirable for commuters.

Safety brokers who’ve transformed these failed parts into toll gates as they extortion cash from motorists have made issues worse.

Equally, the Port Harcourt Highway traversing the guts of the industrial metropolis of Aba is in sorry state, simply because the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia federal freeway linking South East and Akwa Ibom State, significantly the Ikwuano axis.

The federal authorities in 2018 awarded N13.4 billion contract for the whole rehabilitation of the freeway after years of palliative work by the Federal Highway Upkeep Company, FERMA, however after the preliminary clearance of some horrible parts the street has been deserted for non mobilization of the contractor..

Whereas the Akwa Ibom finish of the street is clean, the Abia axis is sort of impassable, thus, making motion on it a nightmare.

The Umuahia-Ohafia-Arochukwu federal street is not any exception because it has virtually collapsed making journey to Arochukwu from Umuahia the state capital virtually a day’s journey.

In reality commuters choose going to Arochukwu through Akwa Ibom as a substitute of passing by means of Ohafia, a journey that ordinarily shouldn’t have taken greater than two hours.

Regardless of claims by the federal authorities that contract for the rehabilitation of the street has been awarded, there’s nothing on floor to recommend will probably be completed any time quickly.