Since Rome, when established governments thought it necessary to construct roads to connect various parts of their provinces; to serve as a means of communication; to serve as a means of conveying goods and people both for military and civil purposes; governments have made it a point of duty that these roads are durable, motorable, safe and in good condition at all times. Roads constructed by the ancient government of Rome remain today as testaments to what roads ought to be.



It is common knowledge in our republic – Nigeria – that most roads are in disrepair and are death traps. Roads within some state and local government domains are an eyesore, but more than an eyesore is the current condition of some federal roads in our res publica. This ought not to be. As a young citizen with interests in a couple of state in Nigeria, I have had need to use the federal roads linking states in the country and I dare say they are not worthy to be called roads.



I am not unaware of the spirited efforts to revamp the federal roads in the country by the government of the day, but I have not seen the liveliness of that spirited effort being put into play as it touches the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi federal road which is akin to a dust bowl in the Sahara during the dry season and a flood plain during the rainy season. In other words, such an aberration as the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi road is not worthy to be given the nomenclature of “Road” in its current state.



The road from Abuja to Lokoja is always a work-in-progress, but when you get to the capital of the Confluence State, the road that veers off to; firstly, the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi road is only motorable from Lokoja to a village called Aku close to Osara, the rest of the road is as I have earlier described – mainly dust bowl and flood plains. Secondly, the road that veers off to the Eastern part of Nigeria is in the same state of neglect and disrepair as the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi road. The stretch of road particularly around the Ajaokuta Steel Complex axis is bad and vehicular movement along that pass is akin to gamboling and galloping on a mole hill while at the same time slithering like a snake to avoid other obstacles.



Now, I do not need to stress the varied shades of the economic importance of these roads, the cost and other implications of using these routes which connects the Western, Eastern and Northern parts of the country. But I will put upon my pen the burden of stating the whole shade of the risk to life, the truncating of destinies, the maiming of commuters, and other risk factors to man associated with making use of the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi road. A lot of water has gone under the bridge in terms of ordinary Nigerians generally, Kogites in particular and beautiful children of Nigeria, Kogi and Ebiraland to be specific who have variously met with one sort of mishap or the other on this stretch of road. Some of these mishaps often fatal. The recent case of the motor accident by the Kogi Central Senatorial aspirant; Barr Natasha Akpoti comes to mind. It was also on this stretch of road that A. T. Ahmed; a beautiful child of Ebiraland met his end. Other Nigerians, government functionaries, unionists, traders and all have had their fair share of the gory state of the road, some lucky to tell the tale, others not so fortunate.



Save our souls! This excerpt is a call on governments to put machinery in motion and also establish parley and palliative measures across board to ensure that the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi road is fixed and worthy to be called a road. The gesture of revamping the roads should also extend to other federal roads in Nigeria.



Long live Kogi State.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.



Written by Asipita A. I. Esq. Abuja-Nigeria.

Which party did kogi vote for in 2015? Correct yourselves in 2019

Lalasticlala! I've done a write up on the bad state of the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi federal road. Pls let it reach our home page. People are dying because of that deathtrap called road.

I am not unaware of the spirited efforts to revamp the federal roads in the country by the government of the day, but I have not seen the liveliness of that spirited effort being put into play as it touches the Lokoja-Okene-Auchi federal road

We will get there too.
One step at a time!

Fasola is overwhelmed

basilo101:
Which party did kogi vote for in 2015? Correct yourselves in 2019

The roads went bad in 2015 we guess?!
It was a paradise for the 16 years your party of criminals was in power!
Odiegwu!

Which party has Kogi been voting for prior to 2015? Do you think that road suddenly got bad between 2015 and now? 
The fact that Benin to Lokoja highway is still single carriage and is in a very bad shape today is a proof of failure of all past PDP governments.DrKenny

Buhari Biko do something wonderful for this people...

Beautiful... Jubril is truly working.

Hmmmm

Wtf

How can a federal road linking multiple states be this bad.
This is really a big shame to Jibrin/Buhari.
Greater shame to their zombies too.

kogi shall be great again o. I sincerely hope the Federal government look into the affairs of my state cos the state government na rubbish..

When Amaechi was Governor of Rivers and GEJ was President, Amaechi begged Jonathan repeatedly to fix the East West Road but Mama Piss didn't allow Jonathan cos she was fighting Amaechi.

As fate would have it, Patience Jonathan lost her mother in an accident on that same road. The accident was caused by bad roads.

For those blaming Buhari for this road. I remember PDPigz here on Nairaland saying GEJ had fixed this particular road. Those in the SE are really enjoying GEJ's achievements like the 2nd Niger bridge and the good roads GEJ did in the East.

basilo101:
Which party did kogi vote for in 2015? Correct yourselves in 2019

PDP was there for 16 yrs what did they do,and don't Tell me dat the road got damaged last 3 years.

na wa o...




Buhari is working...

APC is working...

Sai baba till 2023.

modestbrowser:
Beautiful... Jubril is truly working.

was it jubril that was there for the past 16 years..

basilo101:
Which party did kogi vote for in 2015? Correct yourselves in 2019

This particular road was one of the roads PDPigz said GEJ had fixed and therefore deserved reelection.

The witches in Korgi and Edo states are frustrating FG efforts.

When it comes to edo State roads federal government always behave like snails

Since we have choosed quantity instead of quality we will keep experiencing such in our road construction, how many of the roads in this country can stand test of time,

basilo101:
Which party did kogi vote for in 2015? Correct yourselves in 2019

PDP used 16 years to deceive the entire SE and build a bridge of lies called the 2nd Niger bridge, yet you have amnesia and are now talking nonsense.

The roads you claimed GEJ fixed in the East are killing Igbos via accidents. The rickety toy airport/fishpond at Enugu GEJ and Stealer Oduah built, I hope you're enjoying it.

Keep lying to yourselves thinking you're doing others when you're doing yourselves.

Forgive me if i sound like a jerk. Please what is Governor yehyeh Bello always discussing with the president since he became almost one of the residents at Aso rock?
It might also interest you to know that this road project is not featured in the Budget presented to a joint session of the National assembly today.

Its crystal clear that they don't really care about us anyways.

This is bad

No worries, once the road is fully dualised and completed, you will sing another song
https://www.nairaland.com/4153967/photos-ongoing-road-rehabilitation-federal#62020369

modestbrowser:
Beautiful... Jubril is truly working.

hear this animal !!! Was the road spoilt in this regime or ye can fix all the spoilt infrastructure wrecked by PDP in 3½ years

Eponyeeboz:
When Amaechi was Governor of Bayelsa and GEJ was President, Amaechi begged Jonathan repeatedly to fix the East West Road but Mama Piss didn't allow Jonathan cos she was fighting Amaechi.

As fate would have it, Patience Jonathan lost her mother in an accident on that same road. The accident was caused by bad roads.

For those blaming Buhari for this road. I remember PDPigz here on Nairaland saying GEJ had fixed this particular road. Those in the SE are really enjoying GEJ's achievements like the 2nd Niger bridge and the good roads GEJ did in the East.

When was Amaechi the governor of Bayelsa?

This your post weaken me o.

And Yahaya Bello will be following Buhari up and down!

You can't fix common road in your own village with your funds or federal funds with all the follow follow?

I must say okene is really a back ward Town.

I've been trying not to pass dat road since but had to yesterday cos of the festive season.

Okene to akoko is terrible.

At least the governor should repair the ones passing the state.

They have been constructing road for the past 20years but still no good roads.
Bastards.na like badeh all of them go die