Road Users Groan As Rivers Community Road Worsens

Edith CHUKU

 Torrential rains have increased the agony of motorists, tricyclists, business owners, pedestrians and residents, following the deteriorating state of a section of the Eneka-Rumunduru Road, through Rumuosunwo Community, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Currently, a section of the road at the pipeline area has become very terrible, posing serious threat to its users.

Aside the clustering of rainwater on the road and fear of been drenched, which has made most passengers abandon Keke for small buses, the deep potholes are indeed terrifying, it takes very experienced drivers, who are used to the road to navigate through without getting stock.  

Road users took turns to lament over the damages caused by the dreaded section of the road on their vehicles, which they attributed the unsteady cost of transportation to.

A tricyclists who gave his name as Johnny Alfred recounted the efforts made by the Eneka Youth Congress, around last year, to cover some parts of the dilapidated road.

According to him, some young men also filled some parts of the gory section of the road with broken blocks, demanding money from motorists before allowing them to use the road during the filling.

He said: “You have seen it; the road is very bad, if keke doesn’t spoil, water will full our keke and wet passengers because as car is coming like this, they will pour water into our keke and our passengers will also suffer it.

“Again, when rain fall, we must increase the money, because if the keke spoil, it’s on our head, passengers will ‘tuwama’(run), so let them do this road, it’s really bad.”

One Mr. Moses Effiong expressed dismay that, “it is very terrible that in this country, our leaders only wake up to do something when something bad happen. Everybody is seeing this road and doing ‘eh no concern me, eh no concern me’ when accident or God forbid bad thing happen, they will want to do the road. Me I dey pass here go work, I no dey live here, anything wey them talk I pay go my way, thank you.”

For Mrs. Samuel Nma, “well, I know that this road was very bad before, worse self pass like this but Wike do am, I feel say the people that do the road no do am well, that is why, but let them do the road, it is too bad, rain is still falling.”

Other drivers who took turns to speak with TNN explained the havoc the bad spot is doing to their vehicle. Mr. Sunday, “una go put am for paper, no be to say make we talk eh die here? Okay, my own na beg, abeg, government, me na family man, my name na Sunday, I get five children, na from this motor I dey pay house rent, Ikwerre man no wan hear say my motor spoil, eh dey mechanic no money, eh eh, na here too we dey pay children school fees, chop, so, I no wan talk too much, make government help us abeg.”