State of emergency declared in all federal roads across southeast geo-political zone

LEGISLATORS in the Enugu State of Assembly have passed a motion declaring a state of emergency in the road sector of the southeast geo-political zone in response to the deplorable state of federal roads in the region.

 

Reputed to have the worst roads in the country, the southeast geo-political zone made up of Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States, is impassable during the rainy season. A lack of drainage, a poor maintenance culture, indiscriminate building and the menace of erosion have combined to make the road network in the region pathetic.

 

Responding to the crisis, the Enugu State House of Assembly lamented the deplorable state of federal roads and asked the federal government to immediate commence their rehabilitation. They expressed concern that because of the poor state of the roads, hundreds of road users die on the highways.

 

As a result, the assembly accordingly declared a state of emergency on all the federal roads in the South-east zone. According to legislators, the most critical roads are the Port-Harcourt-Enugu and the Onitsha- Enugu highways.

 

Hon Chinedu Nwamba, representing Nsukka East constituency, who sponsored the motion, said: “Residents in Enugu State and its environs for over a decade now are faced with myriads of problems as a result of the deplorable condition of federal roads there. It seems the state is forgotten in the areas of construction of new roads, rehabilitation and maintenance of federal roads.

 

"Incidentally, this ugly trend has persisted despite promises made by the successive federal government regimes on the said roads. Among the roads in the question, the Port-Harcourt-Enugu and Onitsha-Enugu highways are in the most pitiable condition.”

 

He added that whereas Enugu to Onitsha which was a 40 minute journey when the road was in good condition now takes three hours. Hon Nwamba said the road is so bad that almost every vehicle that applies it usually breaks down before completing a full journey.

 

"On the Enugu-Port-Harcourt highway the story is the same as the journey which normally lasts for two hours is now five hours. The poor condition of those roads has indeed hampered both the economic, political and socio-cultural activities of the people.

 

This is followed by countless record of accidents on those roads. Whereas, there appears to be porous security on those roads since criminals use the opportunity of slow movement of vehicles to dispossess people of their valuables,” Hon Nwamba added.

 

After extensive deliberation, the assembly urged the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency to commence work immediately on the said roads to avoid more mishaps. Yesterday, former Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola was named as Nigeria's minister of works, housing and power and will be responsible for the roads.