I had decided to write on our roads and crashes especially as a fall-out of a trip I made as I just returned from a road trip. I drove from Lagos to Enugu State on Saturday.

Then took a commercial vehicle back to Lagos on Sunday.

Last December as I informed my brother that I was driving to Enugu, he advised me that once I get to Akwa I should divert to the old road which is better than the 'new' road. Well, as I was driving the FWD CX7, I obeyed.

For my trip on Saturday, I drove a Nissan Pathfinder with working 4WD so once I got to Akwa, I decided to drive through the bad 'new' road to see things for my self.

It is not an understatement to say that the road is now a pathetic case. In fact once you leave Onitsha which has lovely Federal Road, built by the last administration of HE Peter Obi and refunded by the Federal Government and you get towards the Nteje axis, you wonder how you left civilization without warning. The same stretch of Federal government road loses its tarred surface for a rough, untarred and red soil that gets very messy once the slightest of rains touch the ground. Continue to Awkuzu and the situation gets
worse as traffic inbound Enugu is now even forced to the oncoming land because theirs has become unmotorable and overgrown with weed and trash.

Punish the suspension bits of your car and get to Akwa and you heave a sigh of relief as the good roads belonging to the same Federal government but also built by the State government give you a breather. Once you get past the Governor's office Junction, the choice becomes yours as to if you want to brave continuing at your car's detriment or make a detour to the old but better road.

I chose to see and boy, did I see and experience a bad road, even the car felt it. I soon realized that there was not a single private car plying that stretch of road except for few buses who I suspect are just helping the inhabitants of the villages there ease their transportation needs.

The road here is not only extremely rough, muddy, it was also strewn with huge potholes that made navigation a herculean task.

Heavy duty vehicles are forced to take this road because the old road can't accommodate them so imagine the frequency of breakdowns and crashes they experience here.

Plying through this road one is forced to ask why this important road was left to degenerate to this deplorable level. Can't our leaders learn that somethings should be left out of politics especially roads, healthcare and power supply?

Lives and properties are constantly lost to crashes, breakdowns and robberies. As for robberies, one is forced to slow down thereby making it easy for robbers to strike.

I am aware that at some point, there were efforts to rebuild this road and even large quantities of gravel overgrown with weeds can be seen at intervals on the inbound Enugu lane, meaning that for like 95% of the trip before Enugu State, one is forced to drive against traffic on the outbound from Enugu.

At intervals, I had to take pictures but couldn't step down because of the level of laterite mud I would have stepped into. Also I didn't have enough space to clear off the road to take pictures of the huge potholes but I got as many as I could without endangering myself nor other road users.

I am not holding brief for anyone but I join the millions of people of the South-East to bring this issue to the front burner and let the Federal Government know that it is their responsibility to provide good roads for every part of the country irrespective of tribe.

I know this will sound sarcastic to some but each time a senior staff of the government dies on the road, like the recent one of Sunday, it should serve as a grim reminder that road incidents know no tribe, gender nor social status. Even when our present President was attacked by a bomb blast, it was while driving. So the importance of having a good and safe motor able road can never be overemphasized. If government officials like, let them fly from Jerusalem to Sydney, Australia, the truth is that you will touch down and use the same roads as we mere mortals. Remember also that someday you will leave government and ride on those roads you refused fixing. Even if it hasn't gotten to your turn, your relatives will. And as the 'Oga' of the family, who else will bear the brunt if not you?

I will also advise the governments of Enugu and Anambra to team up and construct that road then seek for a refund from the FG inorder to quickly ameliorate the huge suffering of your indigenes and residents.

This will not only improve economic growth for them, it will also help you with improved IGR (internally generated revenue) as with increased productivity, you can then tax better and they will willingly even pay their taxes. Lives and properties will also be saved and armed robberies can be reduced to the barest minimum.

At this stage, we are not imploring the immediate fixing of the road, but we are demanding for that.

Of course by the time I got to 9th Mile, I had learnt why my brother warned me last December against using the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

God bless the Federal Government of Nigeria.

God bless Anambra State.

God bless Enugu State.

Culled from http://www.naijacarlovers.com/2016/03/the-sorry-state-of-enugu-onitsha_7.html?m=1

No pictures?

Then it didnt happen

FOLYKAZE:
No pictures?

Then it didnt happen

4G tinz. Check again.

To see more pictures check www.naijacarlovers.com

Lawd av merci!

This is one of the most important/busiest federal road in the SE zone, virtually all other major federal roads in the SE are in similar condition. It pains my soul that during elections last year, it was ironically south easterners (who mainly suffer on this road) that kept spreading stories of how GEJ had fixed all these roads. I wouldn't forget in a hurry how a deceitful list was circulated highlighting the giant strides of GEJ in the SE which included this Onitsha-Enugu road, the Enugu-PH road and even the PH-Owerri road (which was even listed twice as Elele-Owerri). Sadly, these 3 roads are still in a sorry state.

With that still fresh on our minds, the same GEJ extollers have been spreading an amusing and infantile falsehood of how "Fashola said" GEJ constructed over 20,000km of federal roads. And then a discerning mind would wonder, how many kilometres of federal roads are even in Nigeria for over 20,000km to be built to 'very good' standards, yet all the major roads in the SE are still in this state?

May God forgive our folly and I pray the present government does something about these roads.

Onitsha-Enugu road
www.nairaland.com/attachments/3500596_enuguonitsharoadimg20160305123413_jpegccf11b8f44e5423abc1fafd7a94d7e2f

PH-Owerri Road
www.nairaland.com/attachments/3500652_1696480twimg20140911183711jpegacdd68a67070c04cd244a00ffff13912_jpeg6828be9967ab8285f28f8efc03bee119

PH-Enugu Road

Buhari must have already called Fashola to warn him sternly that on no account must the federal roads in those Ibo areas be fixed.


Let them suffer!

Kaji kwo!!

Rochas Okorocha refused to construct the road because he is a saboteur.

That road is a death trap... enugu and anambra being cut off gradually...

You are always talking like a real dunce. Owerri section of PH road remains the worst road in Nigeria but you will rather turn blind eyes to it. What is Okoroawusa waiting to start fixing this road in Owerri now that their man is in Aso Rock? Hopeless and jobless thing..

[s]

Abagworo:
Rochas Okorocha refused to construct the road because he is a saboteur.

[/s]

Abagworo:
Rochas Okorocha refused to construct the road because he is a saboteur.

You shouldn't act indifferent to the plight of these peeps...

AstraNetwork:
You are always talking like a real dunce. Owerri section of PH road remains the worst road in Nigeria but you will rather turn blind eyes to it. What is Okoroawusa waiting to start fixing this road in Owerri now that their man is in Aso Rock? Hopeless and jobless thing..

[s][/s]

Yes it is Okoroawusa and I agree with you as long as the Okoroawusa is from Otuoke in Bayelsa. Mugu mugu everywhere.

This Rochas Okoroawusa na wayo man. He promised Igbos 2nd Niger bridge but failed and left office with no legacy in Igboland. Okoroawusa is fraud. Mugu mugu everywhere

You are the worthless mugu here including your fat ugly governor. Now that APC of which Okoroawusa is the chieftain is in power, what is stopping them to fix it since it is a federal road?


[s]

Abagworo:


Yes it is Okoroawusa and I agree with you as long as the Okoroawusa is from Otuoke in Bayelsa. Mugu mugu everywhere.

[/s]

Yes the 2nd Niger Bridge is under construction why not worry about your useless state that has no single federal presence than poking your smelly nose everywhere..


[s]

Abagworo:
This Rochas Okoroawusa na wayo man. He promised Igbos 2nd Niger bridge but failed and left office with no legacy in Igboland. Okoroawusa is fraud. Mugu mugu everywhere

[/s]

AstraNetwork:
You are the worthless mugu here including your fat ugly governor. Now that APC of which Okoroawusa is the chieftain is in power, what is stopping them to fix it since it is a federal roads
[s][/s]

Why should they fix it when you mugus claimed you have the best road networks in Nigeria courtesy Okoroawusa. He built 30 lane exoress from Onitsha to Enugu, 20 lane from Owerri to PH and another 40 Lane from Enugu to PH. He built new worldclass Airport at Enugu, built 10 lane highway from Aba to Calabar, Umuahia to Owerri and Umuahia to Ikot Ekpene. Okoroawusa was a billboard president. He is fraud. Mugu mugu everywhere.

Abagworo:
Rochas Okorocha refused to construct the road because he is a saboteur.

it is lie!

it is kwakwanso that failed to construct the road because he hates the ibos.

I thought this was one of the roads they said was fixed by GEJ. Anyway let the Governors from that axis play their politics right to get it done.

Yes, your APC is now in power they should rather prove to us that they are better than GEJ by actions and not by talking and passing blame to all the past leaders. They should get to work and earn the confidence of the SE. The reason SE never trusted the APC is because we knew long ago that they do not mean well more especially to the SE, that was why we stuck with GEJ, because at least GEJ made us proud and saw us as his own brothers and sisters. He couldn't have done everything for us if he had 20yrs. Everything was going smoothly economically and otherwise under the last regime until these modafvckers stumbled on the POWER.

Nwokem you better go and find something to do with your life than sleeping on NL every day and night looking for every topic to comment on. just a piece of advise!


[s]

Abagworo:

Why should they fix it when you mugus claimed you have the best road networks in Nigeria courtesy Okoroawusa. He built 30 lane exoress from Onitsha to Enugu, 20 lane from Owerri to PH and another 40 Lane from Enugu to PH. He built new worldclass Airport at Enugu, built 10 lane highway from Aba to Calabar, Umuahia to Owerri and Umuahia to Ikot Ekpene. Okoroawusa was a billboard president. He is fraud. Mugu mugu everywhere.

[/s]

bloodyBLOGGER:
it is lie!

it is kwakwanso that failed to construct the road because he hates the ibos.

Very soon your hatred for Igbos will consume you
Anu ofia

if GEj our brother could nt build this road for us who will?

Pwayne2016:
Very soon your hatred for Igbos will consume you
Anu ofia

i do t hate igbos; I hate IPOB.

I date igbo chicks

For your information, the road is under award (Dec. 2014 @ 24 billion) by the federal ministry of works and that is why it's not being touched by FERMA... Am expecting the contractor "RCC" to be remobilized to site once budget is passed! Already, 7 billion was provided in this years budget for it.
Work couldn't commence last year because of sever budget cuts of the FMoW.... I must commend Mike Onoloememen for remodeling that road from the debacle of Yar adua in 2009...Also, kudos to the current regime for continuing with such a project.

bloodyBLOGGER:
i do t hate igbos; I hate IPOB.
I date igbo chicks

why are u calling me Ipod youth Do i look like one of them??

Abagworo:
This Rochas Okoroawusa na wayo man. He promised Igbos 2nd Niger bridge but failed and left office with no legacy in Igboland. Okoroawusa is fraud. Mugu mugu everywhere

dude are u okay @ all

your comments @ times make me sick

SUPERPACK:
if GEj our brother could nt build this road for us who will?

what brought gej to this?

Scholes007:
what brought gej to this?

What brought you to this?

SUPERPACK:

What brought you to this?

the affairs of south east brought me to this. I ask again what brought gej to this?

Scholes007:
the affairs of south east brought me to this. I ask again what brought gej to this?

Why did he nt make sure the road is completed since he was the one that awarded the contract.

Scholes007:
the affairs of south east brought me to this. I ask again what brought gej to this?

It has everything to do with GEJ A.K.A. Okoroawusa who duped the Southeast.

AstraNetwork:
Yes, your APC is now in power they should rather prove to us that they are better than GEJ by actions and not by talking and passing blame to all the past leaders. They should get to work and earn the confidence of the SE. The reason SE never trusted the APC is because we knew long ago that they do not mean well more especially to the SE, that was why we stuck with GEJ, because at least GEJ made us proud and saw us as his own brothers and sisters. He couldn't have done everything for us if he had 20yrs. Everything was going smoothly under the last regime until this modafvckers stumbled on the POWER.

Nwokem you better go and find something to do with your life than sleeping on NL every day and night looking for every topic to comment on. just a piece of advise!


[s][/s]

You said Okoroawusa built 10 lane express already so why should APC waste funds on roads already made perfect by Okoroawusa?

It's really pathetic.

Traveled on that road twice in the last one year and each time I felt terrible.

That road is a big sign-post on the failure of government.

And to think that they are people in Abuja that come from south east makes it more annoying.

TRASH!

Meanwhile we are around Mommy B road, where are you?


[s]

Abagworo:


You said Okoroawusa built 10 lane exparess already so why should APC waste funds on roads already made perfect by Okoroawusa?

[/s]

AstraNetwork:
Yes, your APC is now in power they should rather prove to us that they are better than GEJ by actions and not by talking and passing blame to all the past leaders. They should get to work and earn the confidence of the SE. The reason SE never trusted the APC is because we knew long ago that they do not mean well more especially to the SE, that was why we stuck with GEJ, because at least GEJ made us proud and saw us as his own brothers and sisters. He couldn't have done everything for us if he had 20yrs. Everything was going smoothly under the last regime until this modafvckers stumbled on the POWER.

Nwokem you better go and find something to do with your life than sleeping on NL every day and night looking for every topic to comment on. just a piece of advise!


[s][/s]

Nice one