Wike’s Wife’s Kinsmen Seek Gov’s Intervention Over Dilapidated Road
4 min read
Edith CHUKU
The agony the people of Engenni kingdom, in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State are subjected to trying to use the internal and link roads in their various communities is becoming unbearable due to the terrible state of the roads.
Most roads in Ahoada West Local Government where the governor’s wife comes from are in a completely pitiable condition, needing urgent rehabilitation to salvage the people from their sufferings.
The condition of some of these roads has become dead traps, even as the rain contributes its quota in worsening the state of the road.
Commuters, motorists, as well as pedestrians have continued to lament over the impassable state of roads in the kingdom, even as they continue to appeal to the state government, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Shell Petroleum Development Commission, SPDC, and Agip Oil Company to consider the harmful effect of the road on vehicular and human movement and come to their rescue.
TNN gathered that youths of the area might be embarking on a protest soon to register their displeasure on what they described as total negligence.
Speaking with TNN in a telephone interview, a native of Engenni Kingdom who gave his name as Mr. Alex Alabrima jnr. said “this road is in Engenni Kingdom in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, we are begging governor Wike to pity us, what you have just seen are the state of roads in Ahoada West, the local government of the wife of the governor of Rivers State.
“One of these roads is even leading to the council secretariat. If the governor can use one of the flyover monies and construct a road in his wife’s LGA, it’s not a bad thing.
Also speaking, a notable youth leader from the area, Mr. Onem Johny Okenya said “the truth of the matter is that we don’t have any road in Engenni Kingdom and what you just saw on social media was a clear indication of what I’m about to tell you now.
“While I was growing up that particular spot you saw I heard that that road have been awarded to NDDC then I will say I was a kid, then, that that road have been awarded to NDDC but up till date nothing of such, in terms of rehabilitation, or construction of that road have been done, and we’ve written several letters to NDDC and of course we have also attracted the attention of Rivers State government in respect to the construction of that road, a letter which I have a copy have also been written to the governor of Rivers State in respect to that road, but all to no avail, nothing has been done and nobody is saying anything in respect to the construction of that road.
“It was I think back 2015 that NDDC when Buhari came onboard, of course I know that that road have been awarded to some contractors, who have turned it to a political road, in the sense that during every political campaign, they will come and say that they are going to construct the road and after then they will not do anything so that road has been left the way you’ve seen.
“I will say that it’s a major road in the sense that it covers a clan, do you know that the Ediro Clan in Engenni Kingdom had to go to their various communities through Bayelsa, you can see, through Bayelsa so it means that we don’t have any, we can’t access our community through Rivers State unless we go through Bayelsa, so I think it’s a major road.
“This road links to Akinima area, which is the headquarter. My appeal is that that road should be looked into; the government should award the construction of that road and do it immediately before this present government leaves office. The road is a state government project.
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“Eugenni Kingdom comprises of four clans, we have EdiroEde clan, we have EdiroEkun clan, we have Ogua clan which has to do with the Joinkrama, and we have Enedwa clan which has to do with Mbiama.
“Now this road you are seeing in question, one is at the Ogua clan, which happens to be in between Akinima which is the headquarters of Ahoada West and Joinkrama, that spot is completely eroded by this perennial flooding that have been bedeviling that area, and then the other side was Ediro clan, which comprises about over 12 communities, now, this road in particular, precisely the Ogua and Eneadua clan from there you will get to Zarama in Bayelsa State, Okodia Zarama, now that road is linked to Okodia, Visina Zarama, now that same Road is a road that is been passed on a daily basis by SPDC and Agip Oil Company, they pass that road to their locations, they pass that road to Adibawa, that’s shell pass that road to Adibawa flow station sighted at Joinkrama JK4, now the bone of contention is that these road have been in that form for all this while and none of those multi-nationals, none of the government agencies like NDDC, even the state government have deemed it necessary to fix up those roads, so that is just the point.”
Photo Credit: Mr. Alex Alabrima Jnr
