Road-users in Imo State count their losses on account of failed roads in the state, Assistant Editor (South East), CHRISTIAN NWOKOCHA, reports.
Driving on federal and state roads in Imo State is currently a huge nightmare to transporters and commuters. This is due to failing or outright failed portions of the roads that have, in some instances, graduated into erosion sites.
Internal roads and by-passes meant to prevent heavy trucks, trailers and other cars from entering into Owerri have all gone bad, leading to suffocating traffic within the capital city of Eastern Heartland.
The access roads from Okigwe Road through Orji in Owerri North Local Government Area, linking Akwakuma-Amakohia Road for people heading to Orlu, Mgbidi and Anambra State have been permanently shut down for months. Heavy duty vehicles conveying building materials from Okigwe to Orlu have no other choice than to pass through Owerri metropolis causing accidents that often result in death of pedestrians.
Another by-pass from New Owerri capital and Concorde Hotel linking Aba-Owerri Road for vehicles heading to Aba from Onitsha and Port Harcourt has completely gone bad, forcing the vehicles to use Douglas or Wetheral Road, all in the city.
Vehicles heading to Mbaise-Umuahia and Okigwe from Onitsha or Orlu also have no choice than to pass through the city since all the by-passes to these areas are in bad shape.
While the ugly situation prevails, it takes toll on the people and business activities. In less than one year, heavy duty vehicles have crushed not less than 20 persons in Owerri, particularly at the Imo State University Junction. This is because the heavy duty vehicles were unable to access by-passes that would have served as alternatives to driving through the crowded metropolis.
It was on account of the frequency of the accidents involving heavy duty vehicles that Governor Rochas Okorocha, at a time, ordered restriction of the trucks from plying the streets of Owerri between 7am and 8pm daily.
Among the internal roads in Owerri that are in bad shape are Nekede Road, Works Layout, Ikenegbu Layout, Aladinma, Orji, Uratta, Egbu, Amakohia, Akwakuma, Irete and World Bank layouts. As they dilapidate, they cause agonising moments to commuters and vehicle owners in the areas.
Some of the roads in Orlu have also turned to death traps. Some portions of the road from Orlu to Nkwerre and Nwangele are increasingly developing into craters. Economic activities and social life of the people in the affected areas have also been grounded on account of the ugly situation.
Attention is also not being given to roads in Dikenafai, Isiekenesi, Amanato, Umueshi and Ntueke communities, in the process, causing pains to residents of the areas.
The roads from Atta in Ikeduru Local Government Area to Amaimo and communities in Obohia, Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, are not better.
An otherwise busy road from Ehime Mbano, popularly known as “Aba Branch” that cuts across the three local governments in Mbaise and Ngor/Okpala, has also gone bad.
Speaking to TheNiche on the development, Law Biaduo, a citizen, remarked that Imo people have passed through hell in a bid to carry out their legitimate businesses in the state due to bad roads. He wondered why all roads constructed under Okorocha’s government fail, even before completion.
He observed that some of the roads constructed under former Governors Achike Udenwa, Ikedi Ohakim and the late Sam Mbakwe remain intact, apparently because the governors ensured that the contractors were notable and had reputation for good jobs. He, thus, advised Okorocha to engage contractors who are ready to execute jobs that would stand the taste of time.
Another resident, Queen Onyewuchi, called on the governor to take urgent step to rescue his people of Isiekenesi in Ideato local government.
“If nothing very serious is done in few days ahead, many houses may be submerged by gully erosion in my home town. My people experience sleepless nights over erosion threats in the area. The whole thing is widening on daily basis and affecting businesses and movements. Please, the governor must do something now,” she lamented.
On a similar note, the traditional ruler of Umudibia Autonomous Community, Eze Godwin Nmerenini, during his recent New Yam Festival, called on the governor to come to the rescue of his community. This, according to him, is to enable the students of Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, and numerous residents in the area, to have access to Owerri and other places of their choice.
“The sorry state of roads in my community has caused terrible hardship to people. Motorists have capitalised on this to hike transport fare from N50 to N200 per drop,” the traditional ruler lamented.
With a Commissioner for Works yet to be appointed by the governor, there are fears that the situation may deteriorate further.
Efforts by TheNiche to find out the plans of the government in arresting the trend through the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, did not go through, as calls to his telephone were not picked.
There are indications that most of the over 1,000 kilometres of roads built by the Okorocha administration may not survive his tenure.
These roads spread across the state, including Owerri which the governor claimed had gulped over N25 billion, are already failing. Experts blame fast deterioration of the roads to the use of substandard materials by construction companies engaged for the jobs.
The immediate impact of the sad situation is that commuters pay more than in the past to get to their destinations.
Instructively, the governor, in one his press briefings in the past, had admitted that some of the roads were substandard. In response to questions on badly constructed roads, Okorocha said “it is more important to open up closed roads and make them motorable. Roads are built based on the resources available to the contractors.”
Biaduo, however, remarked that “when construction of roads take place without a test on the soil, it could lead to failure. Soil testing, possession of real construction equipment and handling of roads with well-informed construction engineers will ensure good road. If roads built in 1980s, 90s are here with us, why not roads built just four years ago.”
Construction of substandard roads by ill-equipped contractors has raised issues of confidence and trust by the electorate against the government of the state particularly in the execution of projects.
A particular case in this regard is the construction of overhead bridge on Okigwe Road Orji, where motorists have expressed doubt over the solidity of the job, particularly when it is being handled by unknown contractor.
Analysts have expressed fear that going by the rate of failed roads executed by the Okorocha-led government, the flyover may also collapse with attendant consequences in possible loss of life and materials.