Rivers Road Abandoned By Wike Becomes Burial Ground • Container Falls on Igbo Trader’s Car, Grinds Him

There has been tears around the uncompleted portion of the Etche Road, leading to Imo State, where a 40-feet container fell on top of a vehicle conveying and Igbo businessman identified as Akuma Kalu, grinding him to death.

From Aba, Abia State, Kalu was said to have been on his way to Port Harcourt to catch a flight and passed through the Etche Road as the Port Harcourt-Aba Road has since become impassable.

The Etche-Ngo Okpala Road has been the alternative route for travellers going to Port Harcourt, from Aba. Immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike had fixed the road from Port Harcourt through Etche, but stopped around the Ngo Okpala axis.

Ironically, the distance left for the road to be complete is approximately two kilometres. With the rains now very heavy and considering the traffic on the road, especially by heavy duty vehicles, the uncompleted portion has become impassable in recent times.

A TNN reporter who was on the road last week observed that there have been some days when light vehicles would be forced to use bush paths, when it becomes difficult to use the road. For days, heavy duty vehicles have been trapped on the road, forcing the drivers to sleep there for days.

It is not clear why Wike decided not to complete the road project before commissioning it. But the road has now become a death trap, as cars face severe danger in the hands of containers that fall there every time.

Sources said Kalu hailed from Abariba in the Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State and was based in Umuogele Ovom.