₦airaland Forum

WITH ten months left in the life of the present Federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari, expectations of the people of the South East geopolitical zone concerning federal roads in the area are still far from being met.

The federal highways, including the Enugu -Onitsha, Enugu – Port Harcourt, Oba -Nnewi -Okigwe, Ninth Mile – Nsukka, Umuahia- Ikot Ekpene, Owerri – Umuahia, among others are still in dilapidated states and with attention now shifted to who would succeed President Buhari, nobody talks about road construction in the area anymore.

However, kudos must go to the federal government for the ongoing multi billion naira 2nd Niger Bridge connecting Asaba in Delta State and Onitsha in Anambra State, which is nearing completion. However, connecting roads in the states in the South East are not in good shape.

For over a decade, movement by road in almost all the states in the South East geopolitical zone has remained excruciating and the question on the lips of the road users is, when will this nightmare end? In the past, someone traveling from Enugu -to Onitsha could target one hour to arrive at his destination, but that is no longer the situation. Today, to travel from Enugu to Onitsha takes at least four hours, no thanks to the bad roads


The Enugu – Onitsha road has been under construction or reconstruction for nearly 20 years and nobody knows when it will be completed. Towards the end of 2020, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola promised that one lane of the road from Enugu to Onitsha would be ready for use by the end of that year. In fact, the contractor handling the job raised the hope of the road users when the company worked seriously on the Umunya -Awka stretch, but as the year 2021 ended, that one lane was not completed and in April 2022, that one lane is yet to be completed. One can therefore imagine when work on the two lanes of the expressway would be completed.

On the lane where work was started, only the Onitsha – Amawbia section has been completed, while Awka to Oji River is still in a deplorable condition, forcing motorists to divert to the old Enugu -Onitsha road. Also, motorists are now forced to use the completed lane and this has been causing accidents frequently on that portion of the road. Recently, five persons, including two Reverend Sisters, their driver and a couple perished at the Nawfia area of the road following a head-on collision. It is also a common sight on the road to see broken down vehicles posing dangerous threats to other road users and the argument is that such scenario might have been avoided if both lanes of the expressway were in use.


Also, the ninth Mile to 82 Division junction is still bad, forcing motorists to be using the Miliken Hill to join the ninth Mile with the danger it poses.

Similarly, the Oba -Okigwe federal road has not gone beyond Uga, while the Enugu-Port Harcourt road is going on a snail speed.

In Abia, there is no end in sight over the ordeals of commuters and motorists plying the routes following carnages which have become a daily occurrence on the roads. Admitted that work progressed considerably on the much-talked-about Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, but many portions of the dual carriage way are still in a sorry state.

For instance, the highway is almost impassable between Enyimba/Ariaria junction and Obigbo bridge in Port Harcourt.

While Osisioma junction to the border town of Awgu in Enugu State can be said to be in good shape, the Ariaria junction to Obigbo in Rivers State is a nightmare. Port Harcourt road inside Aba commercial city, which is a federal road, has completely been abandoned due to dilapidation and motorists no longer use it. And Enugu-Port Harcourt road has been under reconstruction for about 20 years, too.

Ikot Ekpene Road linking Aba and Akwa Ibom State, which is another federal road is in a terrible condition. Same goes for the 50- kilometers Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene road which has remained in deplorable condition for many years.

When the Federal Government announced towards the end of 2021 that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was going to take over the total reconstruction of the road, hopes were raised and the thinking was that at least by now, work would have reached advanced stage. But there is nothing to suggest that the road would be fixed any time soon as only skeletal work has been done by the contractor handling the job. The contractor recently told newsmen in Umuahia that only five per cent of the contract sum had been released to the firm, thus making it difficult for the job to continue.

When he was awarded the contract, the contractor promised to give priority attention to 10 kilometer stretch from Umuahia metropolis to Umudike to help decongest the perennial traffic jam witnessed on the road as a result of the heavy traffic caused by those shuttling between the city and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. But nothing has changed.

Last year, the life of a final year student was claimed by an auto crash on the road before the latest Intervention by the NNPC, yet nothing has changed. There’s no serious signal it may change any time soon.

Also in Abia, the Umuahia Arochukwu federal road which many people say is jinxed has witnessed snail speed work around Ohafia end of the Bende route.

The contract for the rehabilitation of the road was awarded during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but till today, President Muhamnadu Buhari is already in his seventh year in office, yet major work is yet to commence on the road.

The Ihube/Okigwe -Uturu-Isuikwuato- Akara road has almost collapsed and taken over by bandits who now terrorize citizens.

Gully erosion has also eaten deep in some portions of the road especially the Oguduasa axis in Isuikwuato, Abiriba, and Akoli Imenyi axis.

The most worrisome aspect of the situation is that the almost impassable sections of the road have been converted into toll gates by security agents where they extort money from innocent motorists.

On the Owerri -Mbaise- Umuahia federal road, work was yet to commence on the project which contract was awarded when Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, the former governor of Imo State, was the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. As it stands, journey from Owerri to Umuahia which ordinarily should not last beyond 50 minutes, now takes up to three hours.

ExplorerReturns:
Recipe for disaster. Tinubu will fail!

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Friday, dashed the hopes of several Nigerians wishing that he would reconsider his stance on the contentious Muslim-Muslim ticket by replacing former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, with a northern Christian, as his running mate.

A source within Tinubu’s camp revealed hours to the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission that the APC standard-bearer had shunned all entreaties to drop Shettima.

Tinubu, who is a southern Muslim, had incurred the wrath of the Christian Association of Nigerian, some party members and political stakeholders when he announced Shettima, a northern Muslim, as the ‘special one,’ to be his running mate.

He broke the news to journalists after his closed-door meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at his residence in Daura, Katsina State during the Sallah break.

The announcement provoked widespread criticisms, particularly from the Christian community with its feeling of marginalisation and age-long suspicion of an alleged plan to Islamise Nigeria.

Following the outrage that greeted his decision, Tinubu’s men and campaign teams deployed diplomacy and political conversations in the media to assuage frayed nerves.

The desperate move to downplay talks surrounding ‘Islamisation of Nigeria’ fuelled the belief that Tinubu and the leadership of the APC might consider dropping Shettima for a northern Christian before INEC deadline.


However, the possibility that Tinubu might bow to pressure to change his running mate was erased on Friday when he went on to submit Shettima’s name to INEC.

The spokesman for Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Bayo Onanuga, told Saturday PUNCH that it would have been unwise for his principal to drop Shettima because certain people were uncomfortable with the choice.

“That is not possible. We have seen this move before; all these campaigns to pit us against fellow Nigerians. It happened in 1993 and the result was clear. There was pressure from several quarters for (MKO) Abiola to drop (Babagana) Kingibe because of his Muslim background,” Onanuga said.

The campaign spokesman urged Nigerians to focus on competence instead of flying the kite of ethno-religious sentiments.

“What we should be looking at is not religion but competence of the candidate to deliver and take the country to a greater height. They will soon realise that. As I said earlier, there is no likelihood of our presidential candidate dropping Shettima. He has selected him and Shettima will remain. He is a cool candidate. Either of them can be a President,” Onanuga insisted.

The former Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria also disclosed that there were ongoing efforts to appease CAN and disgruntled APC stalwarts, including a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, a former ally of Tinubu, who has been one of the most vociferous voices against Tinubu’s decision to settle for Muslim-Muslim ticket.


He said, “I can assure you that Tinubu will appeal to Babachir and others. What we are seeing is natural. This is politics where you may not get all you want. But we know people will soon realise that the choice they have is not really a bad one.

“Don’t forget that we are still six months away from the 2023 elections. In politics, even 24 hours is a long time. Anything can happen that can change the course of things. There are moves by the party to appease all of them to rally round the presidential candidate for the election.”

Meanwhile, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Taiwo Akerele, has said Tinubu was right to ignore critics of the Muslim-Muslim ticket.

Akerele said, “When we talk of Muslim-Muslim ticket and Christians are saying the VP choice should be a Christian, I begin to ask, what happens to the majority of 120 million Nigerians that are neither Muslims nor Christians, many who didn’t go to church or mosque?

“Between 1999 and 2007, the PDP gave us a Muslim vice presidential candidate from the North. In 2007 to 2011, it was the turn of Jonathan, a Christian. And today we have a vice president, who is a pastor and a professor.

“Christians and Muslim have had their turn. If Tinubu is going to come under pressure to drop Shettima, God forbid, it should not be the turn of Christians or Muslims, it is the turn of pagans.”

According to Akerele, what Nigerians should consider are key issues, such as the ailing economy, rising inflation, unemployment and insecurity when choosing a leader.

Similarly, the Director-General of Asiwaju Tinubu Presidential Campaign Organisation, Adebayo Shittu, also confirmed that the former Lagos State governor and APC leader plan to engage religious bodies and other stakeholders.

He said, “I can assure you that we will do the needful. We know what to do. Is the ultimate aim not for close ranks and work towards winning the presidential election? We will do it.

“Let me also point out that it is not all Christians, even among the clergy, that are aggrieved with our decision. We should not generalise. But we know many of the disgruntled party members are supporters and loyalists of the vice president (Yemi Osinbajo). That is why we said the APC is a party of ‘free joiners’ and ‘free leavers.’ Anybody can leave and come in anytime.”

A source in the Christian Association of Nigeria told Sunday PUNCH that the leadership of the Christian had not had any engagement with Tinubu or anyone from his camp.

Musrataman:
All this from Ipob Igbo failure Hausa no longer cows and Almajiri

Gohs:
Now that they have Baba-Ahmed, he'll help with translating English to Hausa.

By the way, lots of people later came for the LP rally at Osun.

Those pictures you saw were taken at the START of the rally before people began to arrive.

Newton2024:
Why do yoruba headslammers you hate christians.

Newton2024:
Tinubu's Muslim/Muslim Ticket


Some questions are running through my mind:

1. Is there no Christian member of APC from the 19 northern states?

2. If religion does not matter but competency, is there not competent Christian in the entire North?

3. If religion does not matter, what about tribe? Does tribe matters?

4. Can APC fields Yoruba-Yoruba or Igbo-Igbo ticket?

5. Is APC an Islam'ic fundamentalist party like violent muslim brotherhood of Egypt?

6. Can Boko-Haram, Ansarudeen and ISWAP accept Christian-Christian ticket?

7. Why are APC surpporters unrepentant hypocrites?

ECASH120:
If you can proof that Obi is a a thief I will send you 10k here. Drop your aza while dropping the proof

oilykid:
See one of the recruited tinubu urchins here.
You people are busy creating more enemies for tinubu all over Nigeria

NgeneUkwenu:
We tolded them!

PaChukwudi44:
Because you know Tinubu has no clear path to victory

DaddyFreeze2020:
In Bauchi State nobody talks of Atiku but Peter Obi