Benin- Agbor Road Blockage Takes Its Toll On Commutters

From Chris Tony Akhabue

The deplorable condition of the Benin- Agbor road in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo state which drew the ire of Ikpoba Hill Youths to block the road starting from yesterday the 25th enters the second day today with devastating consequences on motorists and Commuters who have resorted to trekking long distances.

Recall that the Benin -Agbor road which has been in deplorable condition since last year has made life unbearable for commuters and residents of the area.

The barricades mounted in strategic axis of the road starting from First upstairs along the Benin -Agbor road, and at Benin Depot Fence, one at Depot Bus Stop, One at Christ Chosen Church Of God, and another at Winners Chapel. Several others before the bypass have completely condoned off the already deplorable situation of the road.

Thousands of stranded motorists could be seen trekking long distances with the aim of getting out of the Ikpoba Hill axis of the road on foot.

Speaking with the Champion Newspaper correspondent at one of the scenes of the blockage, the Ikpoba Hill Youths President, Julius Osemwigie said that they have decided to resort to blocking the road with the intention of drawing both Edo and federal government attention to the road which has since become a death trap.

According to Osemwigie," we have decided to resort to the option of blocking the road because it has become a death trap. Just only last Sunday here, a woman was crushed to death by a trailer. We have written several letters to government and other concerned agencies without result. We are not asking the state or federal government to come and give us money or to come and provide jobs for us, no, we are simply saying that they should come and fix the road and make it motorable. We are simply saying that government should do some palliative on the fail portions so that it could be motorable, that is all we are saying.

" Obaseki is our father, we voted for him and we are only appealing to him to reciprocate that gesture by coming to our aid by coming to fix the failed portions of the road so as to save his citizens from the daily carnage on the road as lives and properties are lost on a daily basis.

" We appreciate the fact that the said road is a federal road but he is the one here with us and we are his people, his own people, who ply the road and not the federal government that are dying on the road on a daily basis, and it is not the federal government that is having its goods and properties destroyed daily. So as our brother and our governor, we are only appealing for his understanding in this matter.

"We have not benefited anything from the government either from the state or the federal government. Most of the businesses have long died due to the bad state of the road. As citizens, there is no singular impact of government in our daily lives as citizens of Ikpoba hill.

" It is our constitutional rights to ask for accountable government, it is our right to ask for good governance because we have done our parts by voting them into position of authority and it is their responsibility to be accountable to the people. We are determined to stay here and block the road until positive actions are seen.

" We will not take laws into our hands but would make sure our youths are orderly and well behaved throughout the exercise" he concluded.

Some of the respondents who spoke to this Reporter decried the deplorable condition of the road.

According to a resident who simply identified himself as Mr Isi said that he has lived in Ikpoba Hill for the past 20 years but has never seen the road in such worst condition. He said that the State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki should be empathetic to the plight of Ikpoba Hill people who are burdened by the bad state of the road.

Mrs Roseline Omoigui, another resident who spoke in a similar vein said that the deplorable condition of the Benin -Agbor road in Ikpoba Okha local government area of Edo state was a typical example of criminal negligence and waywardness of both the federal and state governments who chose to play politics with the lives of their citizens.

According to her, "it is true that the Benin -Agbor axis of the road is a federal government road. If the federal government refuses to fix the road and allow people to be dying on the road on a daily basis, should our governor join the federal government to play politics with the lives of his people, it is pathetically unacceptable and it is the height of government criminal negligence.

As at this morning, hundreds of thousands of commuters were stranded as the road was completely blocked with long vehicles and youths playing football on any available space.