Deplorable Roads In Delta: Omo-Agege To The Rescue On Rehab Work On Effurun-Abraka Road

For anyone who is familiar with the socio-economic condition of Delta State, the significance of the Effurun-Abraka road cannot be over-emphasized.

The less than 50-kilometre road is so significant, not only because it is the major link between two economic hubs of Warri/Effurun metropolis and the ever-busy University town of Abraka, the road also acts as a connect between four local government areas of Uvwie, Okpe, Ethiope-East and Ughelli North.

Delta State-born students of the state-owned University, DELSU, who are from the riverine Local Government Areas of Burutu, Warri South West, Udu, Ughelli South and Warri South travel on this road on a daily basis. It is also strategic for the supply of farm produce from the agrarian communities along the routes to Warri/Effurun and Abraka University town.

Also, important personalities who patronise the Osubi airport make use of the road. Little wonder therefore, the Effurun-Abraka road in Delta State, though a state road by definition, is always busy.

The single lane road which was constructed by the erstwhile colonial masters in the early 19th century had remained a nightmare to Deltans because of its bad state over the years. Deep potholes, gullies and ditches during the rains, sharp dangerous bends and very narrow bridges have become the lot of the road such that a journey that should take a motorist about 25 minutes now takes sometimes between two to three hours, especially during the rainy seasons.

As a result of the dilapidated state of the road, hoodlums have taken advantage of it to rob, kidnap and kill innocent motorists plying it on a daily basis. Their nefarious activities are made easier as they cut down trees on the sides of the road to create artificial blockades especially at nights. Many Deltans traveling along the road have lost their lives through the activities of the hoodlums or through auto accidents occasioned by the bad state of the road. This has been the nature of the road in the past 40 years or so.

No successive administration in the state since the commencement of the present democratic dispensation had deemed it fit to accord the road the top priority it deserves. Though the administration of former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan attempted to dualize the road, it has remained an abandoned project since Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, aka Roadmaster, became the governor of the state nearly five years ago.

Coincidentally, the member representing Okpe Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has been the Speaker of the House for five years, nothing meaningful has been done on the road to alleviate the untold suffering of his constituents.

It is in the light of the above that the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who also has a lot of harrowing experiences from the bad state of the road, thought it wise to intervene in the interest of Deltans whom he represents in the National Assembly.

The Obarisi of Urhobo land and the Leader of the APC in South South made contacts with the relevant authorities to ensure that the maintenance of the all-important road was factored into the 2020 budget.

Information available indicates that, following the Deputy Senate President’s high-powered meetings with the authorities, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) was tasked with the maintenance of the road from the ever-busy PTI junction in Uvwie Local Government Area. FERMA has since mobilized to site.

Some independent journalists who engaged in the monitoring of the maintenance work, report that within a space of two days, the FERMA team has been able to complete work from the PTI junction, through the whole of Osubi, and the workers are now on their way to Okah junction – a distance of 10 kilometres approximately.

Although the Assistant Director of FERMA in Delta State could not be reached to give us an idea of the estimated time of completion of the maintenance project, an engineer on site, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, assured that the work will be completed up to Abraka in a good time to enable those travelling for the festive season enjoy smooth driving experience.

A cross section of Deltans spoken to on the ongoing maintenance of the Effurun-Abraka state road, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his intervention while deploring the criminal neglect of the road by the Governor Okowa-led government. They were also full of praises for the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, for using his good offices to attract the gesture of the federal government to Delta State.

In a related development, the ongoing dualization of Sapele-Agbor federal road, one of the most strategic projects attracted to Delta State by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, is in top gear.

At the last inspection of the road, it was observed that the job has been completed up to Okpara Waterside and it is in progress.

Other major projects being executed in different communities in the state, courtesy of the Deputy President of the Senate, include the supply and installation of electric power transformers in various parts of Delta State to boost power supply. This is also complemented by several street light jobs completed/ongoing in different parts of the State.

This report was contributed by Victor Onohwakpor