Where is that jacent

Let me share with you frustrations over collapsed roads faced by nigerian motorists

Motorists recall tales of pains, despair on federal highways across Nigeria
Published May 12, 2019
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Many major highways in Nigeria are in a deplorable state, thus making users go through indescribable stress plying them. Motorists plying the routes share their disconcerting experiences

Worsening frustration on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, constructed in 1978 and said to be the busiest in Africa, has about 6,000 vehicles plying it daily according to the Federal Road Safety Corps.

Besides, the 127.6-kilometre-long road connects Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states, leading to the northern, southern and eastern regions of the country.

Julius Berger Nigeria and Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria were to take over the project after the Federal Government, on November 19, 2012, terminated its initial concession agreement with Wale Babalakin’s Bi-Courtney on the ground that it was unable make any substantial progress three years after it was granted the contract to rebuild and manage the road for 25 years.

Reconstruction is ongoing on the expressway. While Reynolds Construction Company is handling Section II of the road from Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan, Julius Berger Nigeria is handling the Section I, commencing from Ojodu Berger to Sagamu Interchange.

As things are, the portions of the road being handled by Julius Berger have become a nightmare to motorists. Gridlock has become a common feature on that axis with the firm seen as insensitive to the suffering of road users.

A commercial bus driver, Ishola Aboaba, said the German firm’s slow work pace and the barricades it placed from Magboro Bridge to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries’ Prayer City were often responsible for the gridlock.

Aboaba noted that heavy trucks most times hit the barricades thereby causing traffic which could last a whole day.

He said, “I have yet to understand the kind of work Julius Berger does on that axis. They work as civil servants by resuming at a particular hour with a fixed closing time. They are not the only one working on the road, the other firm is also working and there are no complaints about the stretch it is handling. One can be in the gridlock at 10am and by 10pm, it is still the same thing.’’

He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the project to save road users from unnecessary wasting of time and avoidable deaths.

For another commercial bus driver identified only as Godwin, who plies Ketu to Mowe-Ibafo, the road’s gridlock cannot be compared with any on other Nigerian highways.

He recalled that there was a day he got trapped in it from 6pm to 9pm the following. Godwin added, “I couldn’t turn back as I was already on the Long Bridge and the queue was long. Passengers alighted to trek to their destinations. But I was in it till the following day with my conductor. We couldn’t abandon the car or sleep till day break.’’

Also, a resident, Mrs Gift Lucky, said it was frustrating plying as one couldn’t predict what it could happen at the next minute.

She said, “If we have enough money to move out of the road we would have done so. It is annoying plying it with considering the unpredictable occurrences on it. On that road, anything can happen at any time.’’

Many lives had been lost to accidents and hoodlums on the expressway, whose reconstruction completion was fixed for four years at a cost of N167bn by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan in July 2013.

Enugu-Onitsha Expressway’s stress

Drivers plying the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway are usually full of lamentations because of its awful state. Every day, it is usually a tale of woes.

A driver with the Enugu State Transport Company, identified only as Louis, said it was disturbing that despite showing videos of bad portions of the road on television, nothing had been done about it.

He said motorists still used the road as there was no other choice. He stated, “The road causes accident every day – we lose lives and property. Is South-East still part of Nigeria?’’

Louis noted that if the Federal Government genuinely wanted to reconstruct the road, it would have reconstructed it over 20 years ago. According to him, the road is very bad and the firm handling work on it was not doing enough.

A driver with the Eastern Mass Transit, John Emedolu, plying Enugu to Awka, described the road as horrible. John added, “There are many potholes and much work to be done on the road. The road is in a terrible state. It is by the mercy of God that we still use it.”

He stated that the road had become a death trap. “One cannot ply the road in the night and government needs to address it. Every day, we record one or two accidents on that road as a result of bad road, especially at Ugwu Onyeama axis,” Emedolu added.
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

Another driver, Chukwuka Ejiofor, lamented the number of lives lost to the expressway in the past and recent times. He recalled how a family of seven perished on the road in 2018.

Ejiofor said, “The construction company seems not to be doing anything on that road. I don’t know why things are slow. If one plies that road for a week, one must see a mechanic.”

Another driver, Collins Iwuagwu, regretted that government continued to promise the reconstruction of the road from Enugu to 9th Mile, yet there was no action.

He added, “At times, a caterpillar will grade one side and abandon it. If one follows Milliken Hill old road before getting to 9th Mile, it can take about 45 minutes because of the failed portions. The bad road has increased fare. Both the old road and expressway are totally bad.”

Travellers’ nightmares

Calabar-Itu road is among the dilapidated highways in Nigeria. It is located in Cross River State. Motorists and commuters face harrowing experience each time they ply it.

Some portions of the road are so bad that accidents, involving mostly articulated vehicles, occur there frequently.

Some of the bad spots are before Okurikang Junction near immigration checkpoint, close to the power plant, at Akai Ikot Effiwatt and Mkpara village all in Cross River section of the highway.

The bad spot at Akai Ikot Effiwatt used to be terrible, especially during the rainy season. However, remediation work by the Niger Delta Development Commission has improved the condition of the road in that axis and other spots.

Motorists and commuters hope to heave a sigh of relief as work had commenced after the award of contract for the reconstruction of the Akwa Ibom section of the road.

A motorist, who plies the road, Linus Ibeh, told one of our correspondents that almost every day, a truck falls on the road, causing gridlock.

Ibeh stated, “Impatience of drivers at the bad spots makes trucks veer off the road and crash. For an inexperienced driver, it is not advisable to drive at night because of the deep potholes that dot the road. Tyres can be destroyed if a driver runs into them.”

Another motorist, Bassey Edet, also said accidents happen frequently on the highway resulting in traffic congestion sometimes stretching several kilometres.

Edet said, “When that happens, travellers are stranded. They are forced to trek long distances to pick other vehicles turning back. Drivers exchange passengers at both ends when the gridlock is difficult to clear. We are happy that the road is being dualised. It will ease the pains of motorists and reduce travel time.”

Mfon Ebong, a commuter on his way to Akwa Ibom, said some repair works on the road made it passable as it used to be very bad. Ebong said, “Vehicles fall and block the road. Many people get stranded. The road is even better now.”

The Calabar-Ikom highway in Cross River is another road that used to be a death-trap owing to the failed portions of the road. The worst areas were in Ugep, Ochon that stretched several kilometres; Ibiae the palm estate village, and Idomi where the road usually collapsed during the rainy season. The road has undergone rehabilitation. It’s only on the Biase section that little potholes still exist.

Kano-Kaduna road harbours potholes

Some portions of the Kano-Kaduna highway in the Naibawa area of Kano metropolis, leading to Zaria-Kaduna, is ridden with potholes such that drivers plying the route have no choice but to drive at a snail speed, meandering in the process to avoid some deep potholes.

One of the regular users of the road, Shuaib Hasheem, said he usually avoided plying the route during the rainy season.

According to him, some regular drivers on the route, particularly commercial bus drivers, seem to have mastered the route, as they meander through the potholes easily, driving at a minimum of 20 kilometres per hour.

He stated that those drivers usually moved faster and weakened their shock absorbers while driving on deep potholes.

SUNDAY PUNCH observed that the identified potholes were being repaired by a construction firm.

Deplorable East-West Road

Motorists and travellers along the Bayelsa State axis of the East-West Road and other federal highways in the state decried the deplorable state of the roads, causing them untold hardship.

Findings showed that the East-West Road had been under construction since 2006, during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Bayelsa State stretch of the road, from the Kaima end of the bridge to Mbiama, where the only constructed lane of the double lane expressway had caved in, appears the worst of the road.

Motorists, especially those plying it for the first time at night, are in danger of swerving into the bush as shown by vehicles along the road or inside the rivers.

Most of the travellers, who daily ply the roads, have called on the Federal Government to urgently complete the road to save them from accidents and gridlock witnessed during rainy season.

A driver with one of the transport companies plying Warri to Yenagoa/Port Harcourt route, Ejiroghene Samson, said many accidents attributed to the failed portions of the road were witnessed in the last two months.
Calabr-Itu road

He said, “It seems there is no government in Nigeria. I have witnessed many accidents on the road in the last one year. It is almost on daily basis and most of them were caused by the failed portions of the roads that had caved in.

“I have been driving on the road for more than two decades. We applauded the government when the road was to be dualised but since the road was abandoned over six year ago, it has deteriorated and every day, it gets worse.

“Federal and state government officials travel through the road. I believe they see its state but they have not done anything about it.”

A trader, who gave her name only as Mama Rose, said she usually paid extra money for her goods to be transported to the markets because of the road condition.

But, while the East-West Road is begging for completion, the Elebele/Emeyal/Kolo to Ogbia highway in the heart of the state needs a total rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The narrow highways running through some parts of Yenagoa through Elebele, Emeyal, Kolo creeks, Otuoke to Ogbia town, in the Ogbia Local Government Area, is in a shambles.

From the Elebele axis of the road to Ogbia town, the local government of origin of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, the road is deplorable, with potholes wide enough to swallow cars.

Also, the Yenagoa-Immiringi-Oloibiri road is not better despite having several oil and gas installations.

The abandoned repairs works being undertaken by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency before it was abandoned halfway has further left the road in a worse state, as portions of the road cut out for repairs were left unrepaired, causing multiple potholes and sometimes gullies.

A motorist, Emmanuel Ayibatare, said the road had been like that for years without repairs, even during the time of their kinsman, Jonathan.

He said they spent between one hour and two hours from Yenagoa to Ogbia, a journey that would have been less than 40 minutes. Emmanuel lamented the time spent on the road and having to repair their vehicles after every journey.

A driver, identified only as Joe, said he was always going to a mechanic workshop as a result of the countless potholes on the road.

He said, “We were glad when FERMA began some minor repairs on the road last year. But they left it halfway thereby making it worse than it was before. Travelling on the road is a nightmare and most drivers usually park their cars.

Head of FERMA, Bayelsa Field office, Ayoola Bolaji, said work on the road stopped last year because the money earmarked for the repairs had been exhausted.

Bolaji added, “That job was earmarked in the 2016 Appropriation Bill. It is a 2016 contract which has elapsed. Hopefully, in the next Appropriation Bill, we hope to continue with the repairs because we made a case for continuation.”

Highways in Gombe beg for attention

In Gombe State, the Gombe-Biu Road, Gombe-Dukku Road, Gombe Ashaka-Potiskum Road and the Gombe-Yola Road, which is an ongoing project, are frustrating motorists.

The state is bordered by Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Taraba states and are all linked by federal highways. One of our correspondents, who toured the highways, noticed that they were in a deplorable state. Motorists were seen slowing down at some of the bad portions. The Gombe-Biu Road is in a terrible state especially after Kwadum to Dadinkowa.
Another bad road

A motorist, who plies the road every day, Musa Danladi, said he was always afraid plying the route as motorists always had sorry tales about their tyres after passing through the road.

Danladi stated, “Most of the times I carefully dodge the potholes but it is almost impossible for one’s vehicle to remain the same after a trip on the road. I want to appeal to the Federal Government to do something about the axis and other federal roads in the state.”


Aba/Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway terrible

Some of the motorists plying the Aba/Enugu/Port Harcourt road said it was difficult passing through the axis which they described as terrible.

One of them, identified only as Prince Obi, said he now drove through some communities in Imo State before connecting Rivers State instead of taking the highway.

He said, “I convey passengers from Umuahia to Port Harcourt. But because of the deplorable nature of the Aba/Port Harcourt axis of the highway, I hardly ply it again. I cannot continue to risk the lives of my passengers on the expressway. The short-cut we (including other colleagues) have been taking is far, but we still prefer it to the bad road.

“The deplorable state of the road is also limiting the number of trips I make daily. I want the Federal Government to hasten works on the reconstruction works currently ongoing on the road. The contactors should focus on one lane of the road and finish it before going over to the other lane rather than staggering the works on the two lanes.”

Also, another commercial bus driver, who gave his name only as Ejike, said the Umuahia/Okigwe/Enugu axis of the road had improved due to the ongoing reconstruction work by the Federal Government.
Oshodi-Apapa Road

He urged the government to ensure prompt completion of the works to enable motorists to use the two lanes of the road.

Ejike stressed that activities of the operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps and mobile courts on the road were a big challenge to motorists. “The court sessions normally delay our movement before they ask us to pay fine. The drivers are saying if the courts can sit once monthly, it will be fine,” he stated.

For Victor Ahuanya, who plies the Umuahia/Port Harcourt route, the number of road accidents on the road was increasing.

A journey from Umuahia to Port Harcourt through the highway, according to another motorist, Osita Ekwunambu, now takes up to six hours, forcing motorists to take short cuts to Port Harcourt.

He added, “The road from Umuahia to Port Harcourt, especially the Oyigbo, Aba and Urata areas, is very bad. We use to divert from Etche to Port Harcourt. The reconstruction work they are doing on the Oyigbo area now is very slow.”

Passengers, motorists lament Ogun bad roads

Passengers and motorists plying some highways in Ogun State have described their experiences as nightmarish.

The state has many highways linking other states such as the Lagos-Ibadan, Adatan-Osiele-Ibadan, Lagos-Abeokuta, Abeokuta-Iseyin-Sokoto, Odogbolu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore and Kobape-Siun-Sagamu. The roads link Lagos, Ibadan, Lagos, Ondo and Sokoto states, but most of them are in appalling state.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, some road users on the Lagos-Abeokuta highway complained of incessant waste of time and resources due to the potholes which caused traffic logjam on the road.

A motorist, Abimbola Adeyemi, said he repaired his car every week because of the bad road, adding that road users went through a terrible time plying the Ifo area of the road where work was ongoing.

Adeyemi, who plies the road every day except on weekends because he lives in Abeokuta and works in Sango, pleaded with the Federal Government to fix the bad portions of the road if reconstruction was not possible.

Also, a charcoal trader, Biola Alalade, told SUNDAY PUNCH that she always spent money she didn’t budget for in the course of transporting charcoal from Oyo State to Lagos State because of the bad road.

Commercial bus drivers always experienced frustration on the potholes with the passengers unable to hide their displeasure anytime vehicles they were in got stuck in the deep potholes.

Road users usually battle with potholes at Owode-Ijako and Joju in Sango on the Lagos-Abeokuta highway. Also, on the Abeokuta-Ibadan road, especially around Odeda council area, there are potholes, forcing motorists to apply the brakes intermittently while speeding drivers usually lose their cars’ tyres.

More pains on Epe, Apapa, Badagry roads

Motorists, commuters and residents of Epe town in Lagos State have continued to lament the deplorable condition of the Epe-Ikorodu Road which they said criminals hide under to perpetrate crimes.

A motorist, Banji Oke, said it had become worrisome plying the route as vehicles usually plunged into ditch while drivers tried to drive through failed portions on the road.

It is the same situation on the Oshodi-Apapa Road where commuting or driving has become terrible. Trailers park indiscriminately on a road which has become an eyesore than a highway.

A driver, identified only as Eugene, said the road was better avoided by people with nothing tangible to do on that axis as it would leave them frustrated.

Eugene said, “Activities of the trailers, bad road and port works have combined to make the Oshodi-Apapa Road impassable. It is easier finding a needle in a haystack than plying the road.”

Also, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is in pathetic shape. Residents, motorists and passengers continually groan under the weight of its contemptible state.

Same tales of agony on Bauchi-Gombe Expressway

Road users on the Bauchi-Gombe highway bemoaned the potholes turning the ever-busy road to a death trap.

About four weeks ago, 13 people were killed on the road in a crash caused by potholes on the road. Among the deceased were a couple, their two children and a relative.

obaaderemi:
More people still die on your roads on average than on Nigerian roads. Now go and kill yourself.

Look at the road leading to Apapa port in lagos the nerve centre of nigeria's generator-driven economy

obaaderemi:
More people still die on your roads on average than on Nigerian roads. Now go and kill yourself.

Fuckeduppedness one needs to be a superman to walk the streets in nigeria

Yobeezy:



Guy Abuja has slums, why don't you just own up the way Kenyans do?
It will cost you nothing to accept.

guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

theenchanter:
guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

a city has gate,why is it a gated community?No wonder Vaxx said that just 10% of the Abuja land is developed and the rest not fit for anything.the 1% like deceiving everyone by creating an utopian little haven community and cutting off the rest of the 99% to survive like a jungle.If that's not hypocrisy,what is.How can you build a mini gated haven and say it's your capital city.Who're you deceiving.You will never attain the level of Nairobi or even Accra because these cities don't build gates buh is open for all their nationals who dare to dream.No one limits anyone.Even in Lagos the 1% build islands and squeeze themselves in it like this Lekki,Banana island and your fantasy eko city thus cutting off 99% of the state to live and die on the mainland jungles

theenchanter:
guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

i checked abuja an it got lots of slums... was really surprised..expected something different coz y'll claim its planned...

theenchanter:
guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

I never knew abuja had a gate

Abuja city itself is a very small place. Maitama, asokoro, karptampa, garri, Apo etc. Abuja covers a very small land space, where most offices are located. The vast majority of its citizens live in suburbs like kubwa, Karu, gwarimpa, gwagwa and all the rest of them are nothing to write home about.

theenchanter:
guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

tylann:


I never knew abuja had a gate

its gated

mtisTheQubit:

its gated

tylann:

there are monsters outside the gate..some look like ths

mtisTheQubit:

there are monsters outside the gate..some look like ths

The gates must be closed every evening to prevent the monsters from entering

68816419:

let talk about real business owners and not corrupt individuals, if we are to add our politicians a to the list, trust me, Nigeria would top Forbes list of the richest people on earth.

Are you delusional? Nigerians are the poorest people in the world. Poverty capital.

PetroDollax:

Look at the road leading to Apapa port in lagos the nerve centre of nigeria's generator-driven economy

Well done,desperate boy.
Let me show you Apapa Wharf road as at now.

theenchanter:
guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

Your are delusional. Again, I blame the generator fumes for your confusion.

kikuyu1:


Wrong as ever-you've been corrected over a 100x! Lies as usual. Here are Mbape,Ajegunle,Koroduma and Utako-all within Abuja. Should I post more? Mouthy self praising dishonesty and bait and switch arguments are worse than 'honest' dishonesty-I know others will get it. Damn,I just realised even your lies are dishonest!?

Ajegunle in Abuja? Now I know you are just pained and useless.
Can you compare these pictures you posted with kibera?
Deep in your guts you know you are nuts.


Kibera circa 2019. Should I post more?

sufferNsmiling:
At the Nigerian High Commission most of the Nigerians do not even know what I am doing they are fooling themselves and eating and dancing.

There are some cultures in Africa that eat, drink and dance way too much to get anything else done. Three countries come to mind, they are also the biggest wasted potential in Africa due to constant drinking and merrymaking. Nigerian, DRC and Tanzania are these countries.

obaaderemi:
Ajegunle in Abuja? Now I know you are just pained and useless.
Can you compare these pictures you posted with kibera?
Deep in your guts you know you are nuts.


Kibera circa 2019. Should I post more?

Obaboon, a slum is a slum. A baboon can never learn to reason like a human. These are facts you need to accept moving forward.

PetroDollax post=78526766[s:
]Let me share with you frustrations over collapsed roads faced by nigerian motorists

Motorists recall tales of pains, despair on federal highways across Nigeria
Published May 12, 2019
Kindly Share This Story

Many major highways in Nigeria are in a deplorable state, thus making users go through indescribable stress plying them. Motorists plying the routes share their disconcerting experiences

Worsening frustration on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, constructed in 1978 and said to be the busiest in Africa, has about 6,000 vehicles plying it daily according to the Federal Road Safety Corps.

Besides, the 127.6-kilometre-long road connects Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states, leading to the northern, southern and eastern regions of the country.

Julius Berger Nigeria and Reynolds Construction Company Nigeria were to take over the project after the Federal Government, on November 19, 2012, terminated its initial concession agreement with Wale Babalakin’s Bi-Courtney on the ground that it was unable make any substantial progress three years after it was granted the contract to rebuild and manage the road for 25 years.

Reconstruction is ongoing on the expressway. While Reynolds Construction Company is handling Section II of the road from Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan, Julius Berger Nigeria is handling the Section I, commencing from Ojodu Berger to Sagamu Interchange.

As things are, the portions of the road being handled by Julius Berger have become a nightmare to motorists. Gridlock has become a common feature on that axis with the firm seen as insensitive to the suffering of road users.

A commercial bus driver, Ishola Aboaba, said the German firm’s slow work pace and the barricades it placed from Magboro Bridge to the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries’ Prayer City were often responsible for the gridlock.

Aboaba noted that heavy trucks most times hit the barricades thereby causing traffic which could last a whole day.

He said, “I have yet to understand the kind of work Julius Berger does on that axis. They work as civil servants by resuming at a particular hour with a fixed closing time. They are not the only one working on the road, the other firm is also working and there are no complaints about the stretch it is handling. One can be in the gridlock at 10am and by 10pm, it is still the same thing.’’

He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the project to save road users from unnecessary wasting of time and avoidable deaths.

For another commercial bus driver identified only as Godwin, who plies Ketu to Mowe-Ibafo, the road’s gridlock cannot be compared with any on other Nigerian highways.

He recalled that there was a day he got trapped in it from 6pm to 9pm the following. Godwin added, “I couldn’t turn back as I was already on the Long Bridge and the queue was long. Passengers alighted to trek to their destinations. But I was in it till the following day with my conductor. We couldn’t abandon the car or sleep till day break.’’

Also, a resident, Mrs Gift Lucky, said it was frustrating plying as one couldn’t predict what it could happen at the next minute.

She said, “If we have enough money to move out of the road we would have done so. It is annoying plying it with considering the unpredictable occurrences on it. On that road, anything can happen at any time.’’

Many lives had been lost to accidents and hoodlums on the expressway, whose reconstruction completion was fixed for four years at a cost of N167bn by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan in July 2013.

Enugu-Onitsha Expressway’s stress

Drivers plying the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway are usually full of lamentations because of its awful state. Every day, it is usually a tale of woes.

A driver with the Enugu State Transport Company, identified only as Louis, said it was disturbing that despite showing videos of bad portions of the road on television, nothing had been done about it.

He said motorists still used the road as there was no other choice. He stated, “The road causes accident every day – we lose lives and property. Is South-East still part of Nigeria?’’

Louis noted that if the Federal Government genuinely wanted to reconstruct the road, it would have reconstructed it over 20 years ago. According to him, the road is very bad and the firm handling work on it was not doing enough.

A driver with the Eastern Mass Transit, John Emedolu, plying Enugu to Awka, described the road as horrible. John added, “There are many potholes and much work to be done on the road. The road is in a terrible state. It is by the mercy of God that we still use it.”

He stated that the road had become a death trap. “One cannot ply the road in the night and government needs to address it. Every day, we record one or two accidents on that road as a result of bad road, especially at Ugwu Onyeama axis,” Emedolu added.
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

Another driver, Chukwuka Ejiofor, lamented the number of lives lost to the expressway in the past and recent times. He recalled how a family of seven perished on the road in 2018.

Ejiofor said, “The construction company seems not to be doing anything on that road. I don’t know why things are slow. If one plies that road for a week, one must see a mechanic.”

Another driver, Collins Iwuagwu, regretted that government continued to promise the reconstruction of the road from Enugu to 9th Mile, yet there was no action.

He added, “At times, a caterpillar will grade one side and abandon it. If one follows Milliken Hill old road before getting to 9th Mile, it can take about 45 minutes because of the failed portions. The bad road has increased fare. Both the old road and expressway are totally bad.”

Travellers’ nightmares

Calabar-Itu road is among the dilapidated highways in Nigeria. It is located in Cross River State. Motorists and commuters face harrowing experience each time they ply it.

Some portions of the road are so bad that accidents, involving mostly articulated vehicles, occur there frequently.

Some of the bad spots are before Okurikang Junction near immigration checkpoint, close to the power plant, at Akai Ikot Effiwatt and Mkpara village all in Cross River section of the highway.

The bad spot at Akai Ikot Effiwatt used to be terrible, especially during the rainy season. However, remediation work by the Niger Delta Development Commission has improved the condition of the road in that axis and other spots.

Motorists and commuters hope to heave a sigh of relief as work had commenced after the award of contract for the reconstruction of the Akwa Ibom section of the road.

A motorist, who plies the road, Linus Ibeh, told one of our correspondents that almost every day, a truck falls on the road, causing gridlock.

Ibeh stated, “Impatience of drivers at the bad spots makes trucks veer off the road and crash. For an inexperienced driver, it is not advisable to drive at night because of the deep potholes that dot the road. Tyres can be destroyed if a driver runs into them.”

Another motorist, Bassey Edet, also said accidents happen frequently on the highway resulting in traffic congestion sometimes stretching several kilometres.

Edet said, “When that happens, travellers are stranded. They are forced to trek long distances to pick other vehicles turning back. Drivers exchange passengers at both ends when the gridlock is difficult to clear. We are happy that the road is being dualised. It will ease the pains of motorists and reduce travel time.”

Mfon Ebong, a commuter on his way to Akwa Ibom, said some repair works on the road made it passable as it used to be very bad. Ebong said, “Vehicles fall and block the road. Many people get stranded. The road is even better now.”

The Calabar-Ikom highway in Cross River is another road that used to be a death-trap owing to the failed portions of the road. The worst areas were in Ugep, Ochon that stretched several kilometres; Ibiae the palm estate village, and Idomi where the road usually collapsed during the rainy season. The road has undergone rehabilitation. It’s only on the Biase section that little potholes still exist.

Kano-Kaduna road harbours potholes

Some portions of the Kano-Kaduna highway in the Naibawa area of Kano metropolis, leading to Zaria-Kaduna, is ridden with potholes such that drivers plying the route have no choice but to drive at a snail speed, meandering in the process to avoid some deep potholes.

One of the regular users of the road, Shuaib Hasheem, said he usually avoided plying the route during the rainy season.

According to him, some regular drivers on the route, particularly commercial bus drivers, seem to have mastered the route, as they meander through the potholes easily, driving at a minimum of 20 kilometres per hour.

He stated that those drivers usually moved faster and weakened their shock absorbers while driving on deep potholes.

SUNDAY PUNCH observed that the identified potholes were being repaired by a construction firm.

Deplorable East-West Road

Motorists and travellers along the Bayelsa State axis of the East-West Road and other federal highways in the state decried the deplorable state of the roads, causing them untold hardship.

Findings showed that the East-West Road had been under construction since 2006, during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. The Bayelsa State stretch of the road, from the Kaima end of the bridge to Mbiama, where the only constructed lane of the double lane expressway had caved in, appears the worst of the road.

Motorists, especially those plying it for the first time at night, are in danger of swerving into the bush as shown by vehicles along the road or inside the rivers.

Most of the travellers, who daily ply the roads, have called on the Federal Government to urgently complete the road to save them from accidents and gridlock witnessed during rainy season.

A driver with one of the transport companies plying Warri to Yenagoa/Port Harcourt route, Ejiroghene Samson, said many accidents attributed to the failed portions of the road were witnessed in the last two months.
Calabr-Itu road

He said, “It seems there is no government in Nigeria. I have witnessed many accidents on the road in the last one year. It is almost on daily basis and most of them were caused by the failed portions of the roads that had caved in.

“I have been driving on the road for more than two decades. We applauded the government when the road was to be dualised but since the road was abandoned over six year ago, it has deteriorated and every day, it gets worse.

“Federal and state government officials travel through the road. I believe they see its state but they have not done anything about it.”

A trader, who gave her name only as Mama Rose, said she usually paid extra money for her goods to be transported to the markets because of the road condition.

But, while the East-West Road is begging for completion, the Elebele/Emeyal/Kolo to Ogbia highway in the heart of the state needs a total rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The narrow highways running through some parts of Yenagoa through Elebele, Emeyal, Kolo creeks, Otuoke to Ogbia town, in the Ogbia Local Government Area, is in a shambles.

From the Elebele axis of the road to Ogbia town, the local government of origin of the former President Goodluck Jonathan, the road is deplorable, with potholes wide enough to swallow cars.

Also, the Yenagoa-Immiringi-Oloibiri road is not better despite having several oil and gas installations.

The abandoned repairs works being undertaken by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency before it was abandoned halfway has further left the road in a worse state, as portions of the road cut out for repairs were left unrepaired, causing multiple potholes and sometimes gullies.

A motorist, Emmanuel Ayibatare, said the road had been like that for years without repairs, even during the time of their kinsman, Jonathan.

He said they spent between one hour and two hours from Yenagoa to Ogbia, a journey that would have been less than 40 minutes. Emmanuel lamented the time spent on the road and having to repair their vehicles after every journey.

A driver, identified only as Joe, said he was always going to a mechanic workshop as a result of the countless potholes on the road.

He said, “We were glad when FERMA began some minor repairs on the road last year. But they left it halfway thereby making it worse than it was before. Travelling on the road is a nightmare and most drivers usually park their cars.

Head of FERMA, Bayelsa Field office, Ayoola Bolaji, said work on the road stopped last year because the money earmarked for the repairs had been exhausted.

Bolaji added, “That job was earmarked in the 2016 Appropriation Bill. It is a 2016 contract which has elapsed. Hopefully, in the next Appropriation Bill, we hope to continue with the repairs because we made a case for continuation.”

Highways in Gombe beg for attention

In Gombe State, the Gombe-Biu Road, Gombe-Dukku Road, Gombe Ashaka-Potiskum Road and the Gombe-Yola Road, which is an ongoing project, are frustrating motorists.

The state is bordered by Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Taraba states and are all linked by federal highways. One of our correspondents, who toured the highways, noticed that they were in a deplorable state. Motorists were seen slowing down at some of the bad portions. The Gombe-Biu Road is in a terrible state especially after Kwadum to Dadinkowa.
Another bad road

A motorist, who plies the road every day, Musa Danladi, said he was always afraid plying the route as motorists always had sorry tales about their tyres after passing through the road.

Danladi stated, “Most of the times I carefully dodge the potholes but it is almost impossible for one’s vehicle to remain the same after a trip on the road. I want to appeal to the Federal Government to do something about the axis and other federal roads in the state.”


Aba/Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway terrible

Some of the motorists plying the Aba/Enugu/Port Harcourt road said it was difficult passing through the axis which they described as terrible.

One of them, identified only as Prince Obi, said he now drove through some communities in Imo State before connecting Rivers State instead of taking the highway.

He said, “I convey passengers from Umuahia to Port Harcourt. But because of the deplorable nature of the Aba/Port Harcourt axis of the highway, I hardly ply it again. I cannot continue to risk the lives of my passengers on the expressway. The short-cut we (including other colleagues) have been taking is far, but we still prefer it to the bad road.

“The deplorable state of the road is also limiting the number of trips I make daily. I want the Federal Government to hasten works on the reconstruction works currently ongoing on the road. The contactors should focus on one lane of the road and finish it before going over to the other lane rather than staggering the works on the two lanes.”

Also, another commercial bus driver, who gave his name only as Ejike, said the Umuahia/Okigwe/Enugu axis of the road had improved due to the ongoing reconstruction work by the Federal Government.
Oshodi-Apapa Road

He urged the government to ensure prompt completion of the works to enable motorists to use the two lanes of the road.

Ejike stressed that activities of the operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps and mobile courts on the road were a big challenge to motorists. “The court sessions normally delay our movement before they ask us to pay fine. The drivers are saying if the courts can sit once monthly, it will be fine,” he stated.

For Victor Ahuanya, who plies the Umuahia/Port Harcourt route, the number of road accidents on the road was increasing.

A journey from Umuahia to Port Harcourt through the highway, according to another motorist, Osita Ekwunambu, now takes up to six hours, forcing motorists to take short cuts to Port Harcourt.

He added, “The road from Umuahia to Port Harcourt, especially the Oyigbo, Aba and Urata areas, is very bad. We use to divert from Etche to Port Harcourt. The reconstruction work they are doing on the Oyigbo area now is very slow.”

Passengers, motorists lament Ogun bad roads

Passengers and motorists plying some highways in Ogun State have described their experiences as nightmarish.

The state has many highways linking other states such as the Lagos-Ibadan, Adatan-Osiele-Ibadan, Lagos-Abeokuta, Abeokuta-Iseyin-Sokoto, Odogbolu-Ijebu-Ode-Ore and Kobape-Siun-Sagamu. The roads link Lagos, Ibadan, Lagos, Ondo and Sokoto states, but most of them are in appalling state.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, some road users on the Lagos-Abeokuta highway complained of incessant waste of time and resources due to the potholes which caused traffic logjam on the road.

A motorist, Abimbola Adeyemi, said he repaired his car every week because of the bad road, adding that road users went through a terrible time plying the Ifo area of the road where work was ongoing.

Adeyemi, who plies the road every day except on weekends because he lives in Abeokuta and works in Sango, pleaded with the Federal Government to fix the bad portions of the road if reconstruction was not possible.

Also, a charcoal trader, Biola Alalade, told SUNDAY PUNCH that she always spent money she didn’t budget for in the course of transporting charcoal from Oyo State to Lagos State because of the bad road.

Commercial bus drivers always experienced frustration on the potholes with the passengers unable to hide their displeasure anytime vehicles they were in got stuck in the deep potholes.

Road users usually battle with potholes at Owode-Ijako and Joju in Sango on the Lagos-Abeokuta highway. Also, on the Abeokuta-Ibadan road, especially around Odeda council area, there are potholes, forcing motorists to apply the brakes intermittently while speeding drivers usually lose their cars’ tyres.

More pains on Epe, Apapa, Badagry roads

Motorists, commuters and residents of Epe town in Lagos State have continued to lament the deplorable condition of the Epe-Ikorodu Road which they said criminals hide under to perpetrate crimes.

A motorist, Banji Oke, said it had become worrisome plying the route as vehicles usually plunged into ditch while drivers tried to drive through failed portions on the road.

It is the same situation on the Oshodi-Apapa Road where commuting or driving has become terrible. Trailers park indiscriminately on a road which has become an eyesore than a highway.

A driver, identified only as Eugene, said the road was better avoided by people with nothing tangible to do on that axis as it would leave them frustrated.

Eugene said, “Activities of the trailers, bad road and port works have combined to make the Oshodi-Apapa Road impassable. It is easier finding a needle in a haystack than plying the road.”

Also, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is in pathetic shape. Residents, motorists and passengers continually groan under the weight of its contemptible state.

Same tales of agony on Bauchi-Gombe Expressway

Road users on the Bauchi-Gombe highway bemoaned the potholes turning the ever-busy road to a death trap.

About four weeks ago, 13 people were killed on the road in a crash caused by potholes on the road. Among the deceased were a couple, their two children and a relative.[/s]

Learn to summarize. This is bullsh.it

gallivant:


Obaboon, a slum is a slum. A baboon can never learn to reason like a human. These are facts you need to accept moving forward.

Gallipig,all men are equal but some are more equal than others.(George Orwell)
A slum is a slum but some are worse than others. This is a fact you need to learn.But then a pig has nothing but dirt to cling to,so I don't expect a pig to see any difference between kibera and any other slum.
Now go back to the fence where you belong and watch.

vaxx1:
perharps(perhaps) your mother may be reading that. Who knows?

This is how to tell when a kid has been battered. When they start saying things like mama,papa.

obaaderemi:
[s]This is how to tell when a kid has been battered. When they start saying things like mama,papa[/s].

You see all this error you and your MOTHER commit all the time but ur brain just chooses to ignore​ it

vaxx1:
You see all this error you and your MOTHER commit all the time but ur brain just chooses to ignore​ it

This guy is in serious pain now.The only fight he got left is mama,papa.

theenchanter:
guy, abuja is a planned city from scratch... those slums are by the expressway when driving into abuja. Once u cross d city gate, u're in abuja but if u're still driving on muritala expressway into abuja, that's where those slums are situated, not inside abuja.

Is that hard to comprehend?

It still doesn't matter guy, they're surrounded within the outskirts of Abuja city just like kibera is located within the outskirts of Nairobi, you can continue denying though it won't change the fact but bring deplorables that Abuja has slums, the information is openly published in the internet.

obaaderemi:
Well done,desperate boy.
Let me show you Apapa Wharf road as at now.

you were here when i posted a recent pic of Apapa roads taken three week ago

obaaderemi:
:[s]D This guy is in serious pain now.The only fight he got left is mama,papa.[/s]

why do you suddenly stop that terrible job you inherit from your dad ( I mean the act of stupidity) mistaking spellings with grammer. Like father like son. (omo osan ni ko poonpo ba iya e) bad child brings disgrace to his mother

Obaawonidiot this is not outside your optical fovea, so why is your brain ignoring it. You should identify the mistakes as usual. Don't be too lazy to act like your mom.

i told you guys not to push Abuja as a city



now you made the Kenyans murder infant Abuja



how can a city be gated

kikuyu1:


Back in late 2016 before you came they screeched and pointed fingers at Kibera and Mathare. We reminded them of their own numerous slums and posted pics of Makoko.
These niggas swore up and down it was full of Beninese not Naijjans and was long demolished-til a Kenyan in Lagos snapped a pic of the floating slum in all its glory off the third Mainland Bridge! Denial,deflection and obfuscation are a national trait!
A nephew of mine in one of the top UK public schools told me his Igbo classmate always ribbed him about Kibera. I get they need a coping mechanism but still.....

They always love flimsy excuses