From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew
Residents, traders and Motorists in Owerri, Imo State capital city have appealed to the State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma to reconstruct the Polytechnic Nekede road- Aba/Owerri Express that links to Road Safety Junction which emptied at Umuahia/Owerri Road abandoned over the years by contractors .
On visiting the area, our correspondent learnt that the dilapidated State of the road has negatively impacted the lives of the people and economic investments.
“Petty traders who have shops along the road have given up on their businesses, just as residents of the area have relocated to other places leaving millions of naira wasted and the pains are really unbearable.”
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the abandoned road hosts one of the highest vehicular movements when in good condition. This is basically because the popular Timber Market is located along that axis. A ring road that connects Aba Road, Poly Nekede junction to Road Safety, Umuahia Road to Toronto and Uratta Orji, Okigwe Road is really boisterous and economically viable.
The road serves most production companies and Factory hubs sited in that environment which generates tens of millions of naira on daily basis but sadly it’s dilapidated condition is hindering their productivity
A truck driver, who identified himself as Ephraim Ukachukwu, interviewed by our correspondent, revealed that the road has been in a sorry State, since uzodimma’s administration.
He blamed the government for their woes. According to him, the road has been a nightmare to motorists because of its many dilapidated spots with deep gullies.
Also, another business owner Chief Maduako Theodore also lamented and groan under the deplorable conditions of the road without an end in sight to the nightmare.
According to him, the axis is one of the nerve centers of the State economy, wondering why the State Government under His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodimma should abandon it
Said he: “As you can see the road has already become a gully with a massive deep of 5 to 6 feet subsurface while the both sides upper are also terrible”. “The experience navigating through the road during rainy season becomes more terrible as vehicles break down causing traffic gridlock for hours. ” Most times some Okada riders throw their passengers inside the muddy flood”.
“Whenever it rains here, we are usually thrown into panic, despair and anguished, as the already deplorable road become almost impassable.
The residents lament even as the road is neglected and abandoned by both the State and Local government, albeit, the Local Government administrators who are mere appointees have been stripped off their legitimate power to construct rural roads in the State.
Meanwhile, a business owner in that vicinity, the CEO of Burubia Group of Companies, High Chief Sir Emmanuel Eneremadu in his reaction, made a Compassionate appeal to the Governor, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodimma to come to their aid.
Sir Eneremadu who described the Governor as a leader with listening hear expressed hope that he would intervene to ameliorate the situation.
He recounted the loss his company has experienced since last year over the inability of his partners to bring in goods as a result of the deplorable condition of the road
