Onyeche Wofurum Igwe
The Rivers and Oyigbo Local Governments appear to have shit their eyes and ears against the people of Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, whose roads have been in a messy condition over the years.
Apart from the internal roads in Oyigbo and neighbouring Iriebe which is in the Obio/Akpor Loca Government, the Oyigbo junction axis of the Port Harcourt-Aba expressway is in a terrible state.
The worst is the Mbano Camp junction which has been become, not just impassable, but a death trap. The residents have been begging the government to intervene and fix the road.
The dilapidated nature of the Mbano junction portion of the road has been a source of headache for drivers and commuters, especially during the rainy days.
Sunday Ekene, a bus driver who plies the Oyigbo- Mile One Park route in Port Harcourt, shared his experience of the challenges posed by the bad road, wit TNN.
He said he spends an average of two hours at Mbano junction, which not only wastes valuable work hours, but also leads to increased car depreciation and high fuel consumption.
Ekene’s sentiments were echoed by some commuters, who lamented the impact of the bad roads on their daily lives. They called on the government to prioritize the repair and maintenance of the roads to prevent further suffering and possible loss of life.
Uchechi Nwala, a fruit vendor, expressed concern that despite the bad state of the roads, trucks and tanker drivers continue to ply the route, putting other road users at risk.
She urged the authorities to take immediate action to address the situation and ensure the safety of all road users. ”Severally, trucks laden with unlatched containers had fallen on this road; thank God there was no loss of life. I urge the government to urgently intervene to avert fatal accidents. Those of us who trade by the roadside do so in fear,” Ms Nwala said.
Sydney Uwem, manager at Crunchies Eatery at the Mbano Camp junction, said the poor state of the road had contributed to the slow businesses recently confronting shop owners in the area.
“Our businesses are suffering as customers barely patronise us due to regular gridlocks and floods at our entry points.
“This is also a basic eatery spot in Oyigbo; Chicken Republic, Crunchies, Kilimanjaro and The Promise are also located here. We plead with the state government under the leadership of retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to urgently address our plight,” he said.
Some business owners further said they were handicapped since it is unlawful to engage in repairs of critical government infrastructure, like roads.
TNN could not reach any official of the Oyigbo Local Government to speak on the matter, as the citizens believe that the council ought to have taken some remedial steps to tackle the problem.
On the other hand, as the state is currently under a quasi military rule, with no commissioner for works in place, TNN could not speak with any state official on the matter.
