Friday, November 4, 2022

This afternoon, the Executive Director, Initiative For Ideal Development And Emancipatory Leadership In Nigeria "IDEAL-NIGERIA" visited Aba/Port Harcourt Expressway precisely from Tonimas Junction connecting Umuode axis passing through Enyimba, Bakassi, Ariaria junctions to the stretch at Alaoji all in Aba, Abia State where both sides of the roads are presently being occupied by heavy trucks most of which carry goods from the Onne Sea Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to and from Aba in Abia State as well as from other various part of the country.

These individuals are passing through alot of challenges on this road as they have spent 3 harrowing nights on the same spot due to this bad road situation.

It is unfortunate that movement from Uratta to Ariaria junction with the present condition of the road, takes an average of 4 days for the drivers of these heavy trucks to get through. The movement through motorcycle for the same distance now cost #1000 (one thousand naira) per passenger while from the same location to Osisioma is presently #800 (eight hundred naira). Before now, it only cost between #100 to #200 to embark on such movement. The situation has forced most people particularly the traders and other road users who make use of the road daily to resort to trekking long distances.

The challenges expressed in strong terms by the road users include:

• that despite the huge sum they pay as daily ticket in the tune of #3500, offloading levy of #2000 and the newly introduced night online ticket of #2000, they keep being harassed by some taskforce at night time where their operations have been limited to.

• that Abia State government should do palliative work on the road bearing in mind the Federal Government position on States not to carryout road projects on her behalf going forward in order ro minimize their suffering just as Rivers State government did from Eleme Junction to Obigbo end of the road (Aba/Port Harcourt Expressway).

• that the bad road condition on the Abia State wing of the road starting from Oil Serve passing through Obigbo (Rivers State boundary with Abia State), Obehie, Ngwa Iyi Ekwe, Dustbin, Alaoji to Tonimas in Aba is indeed an embarrassment to Abia State as the Rivers State end has received proper attention.

• that the number of felled trucks on the road has contributed in no small measures in this 3 day long gridlock (still counting) which has caused the drivers to stage a party in the middle of the road thereby waiting aimlessly in the process for solutions.

• that uniform men at Timber Market Uratta, Ariaria junction and Umuikaa Owerrinta junction collect #1000 from them (the truck drivers) through the boys they station at these locations on their behalf and any attempt they the drivers make to resist this oppressive act is usually visited with harassment from the uniform men on duty.

• that as drivers, subject to these dehumanizing experiences they go through on this road on a daily basis, that they are usually left with nothing as take home to their families. They equally lamented that a conductor to one of the trucks drivers was shot on the belly few days ago for refusing to part with #200 by a uniform personnel at Osisioma. The conductor is said to be receiving treatment at an undisclosed location. The case involving a cattle that felled from a truck was quite a pitiable sight as depicted in one of the attached pictures. The harrowing experience of traders who come all the way from neighbouring States to buy goods in Aba cannot be underestimated.

• that something urgent should be done to avert any form of unforseen negative responses on their part if this kind of situation should be allowed to continue to fester.

• that in the case of scrap conveyors (Ndi Akpakara) who do so with trucks, that they are forced to pay #5000 (five thousand naira) per checkpoint. It is even more worrisome considering there are about 3 of such checkpoints at Osisioma where they had to part with #15,000 (fifteen thousand naira) for the same obvious purpose.

The truck/container drivers had maintained as at the time of filling this report that they won't leave the road until help come their way considering the huge loses they have suffered on the same road so far.

Meanwhile, subject to this development IDEAL-NIGERIA team visited Tonimas Junction where ARAB CONSTRUCTION COMPANY the contractor handling this section of the road from Abia Tower in Umuahia to Port Harcourt Rivers State was seen on ground as having commenced operation this year 2022 on an early note when compared to last year 2021. This might have been prompted by the current situation.

Written and compiled by:
Pastor Nwokocha Anozie Innocent,
E.D,
Initiative For Ideal Development And Emancipatory Leadership In Nigeria
"IDEAL-NIGERIA"




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Tinubuwins2023e:
Wait, so this igbos wey dey form sophisticated also get Agbero owo mi da?
Eleribu are this people I swear

Tinubuwins2023e:
Wait, so this igbos wey dey form sophisticated also get Agbero owo mi da?
Eleribu are this people I swear