By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
To say that most Federal Government-owned roads in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria are in very bad condition is to restate the obvious.
The situation has got worst with the rainy season here again as most of the patched portions of the highways washed away by flood water.
Commuters and motorists plying the major roads in the South East have sad stories to tell with passengers suffering unnecessary delays on the road and other inconsistencies. Yet, several times both passengers and drivers are seen sleeping on the roads when their vehicles breakdown with many becoming victims of criminals.
A recent trip round the five South East states of Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi revealed the sorry-state of the major highways including the Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway, Enugu-Okigwe-Umuahia-Port Harcourt Expressway, Owerri-Onitsha Expressway and Owerri-Port Harcourt dual carriageway.
Other bad roads include the trunk A federal highways criss- crossing the South East geopolitical zone especially the Otukpa-Oturkpo-Obollor Afor-Nsukka to 9th Mile Corner in Enugu road. This stretch is getting worse by the day.
The Okigwe- Anara to Owerri axis is not better either. The road constructed by Monnior Construction Company (MCC)7 Ltd during the regime of 1st civilian governor of Imo State, late Chief Samuel Mbakwe has cut off at Amuro town and Akabo community respectively.
Also, the same fate has befallen the busy Ihiala-Orlu – Anara-Isiala Mbano to Umuahia roads and the Ehime-Isinweke-7th Mile Achingala road linking Mbaise to Owerri.
Prompt News can confirm that state roads in the South East zone are not better in any way as governments have abandoned the rural dwellers to their faiths. They neither construct new roads nor maintain the old roads.
Worst state in bad roads in the South East is Imo state which has become a political chessboard with with unstable government since 2011 when “forces” within and outside the state conspired to oust the government of Dr. Ikedi Ohakim whose administration ensured the federal government funded the completion of Owerri-Elele-Port Harcourt dual carriageway.
But his successor ex-governor, Rochas Okorocha’s regime of 2011 to 2019 could not rehabilitate the federal, state and rural roads in eight years. He concentrated his efforts in opening poorly constructed new roads in the city of Owerri and never constructed a quality roads in the rural communities.
For this reason, roads in Imo state have remained a nightmare to commuters and other road users who are bearing the brunt of bad governance which has become part of the state’s history.
Chief Emmanuel Njoku-Amadi, Agujiegbe 1 of Umuoka in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo state wants the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency direct the Federal Ministry of Works to mobilise to sites in the South East to commence the immediate rehabilitation of the federal roads in Imo state.
This view was also expressed by Mrs. Monica Mathew, a trader in perishable goods in Imo state who decried the bad condition of the roads in the South East. She lamented the cost of transportation and long hours it now take to bring farm products from the rural areas to the cities in the South East states.
It is left to be seen if the authorities at state and federal governments will, at least give roads in the South East a face lifts before the Yuletide as the South Easterners living outside the zone are known to embark on mass return to their state of origins to celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays.
