Gov Oborevwori’s Kinsmen Cry for Help

…Say community’s road in ruins

From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri

Residents of Odisi Road in Ughoton community, Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State, are calling for urgent intervention as their main access road has become virtually impassable. Okpe is the local government council of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

Their cry is coming a few days after the governor boasted of about 42 road projects, which have been earmarked for inauguration in celebration of his administration’s second year in office

The governor also paraded three flyovers and three slipways in the twin cities of Warri and Effurun as his administration’s flagship projects.

But for residents of Odisi Road, the popular saying, “One cannot be at the mouth of a river and use saliva to wash his hands,” should address their plight. They believe they cannot have Oborevwori, an Okpe man, entrusted with the state’s ocean of resources and his kinsmen will still be using saliva to wash their hands.

Stretching approximately 10 kilometres from the main road to the Warri River, Odisi Road connects residents to the waterfront leading into Warri refinery and Escravos River. Ughoton, one of the satellite towns near Warri and Effurun metropolis, became a sought-after suburb following the densely populated nature of both Warri and Effurun.

Checks revealed that the situation got worse when the area saw an increase in inhabitants as people moved in from Warri urban. Being one of the routes to the river, it attracted sand dredgers who recognized it as a lucrative business opportunity and moved there in large numbers.

Consequently, the road transformed into a busy hub for dredgers and tipper operators. Over time, the road’s condition worsened significantly, turning into a nightmare that greatly disrupted daily life and economic activities.

Daily Sun gathered that dredging activities along Odisi Road became a major contributing factor to the poor condition of the road. Tipper owners, dredgers and sand beach operators often ignored warnings, causing significant damage to the road infrastructure.

The dredging not only damaged the road but also exposed houses built long before the dredging works started to collapse. “Dredgers dig close to residential foundations, risking lives and property,” one of the residents lamented.

It was gathered that some undisclosed persons in the community allowed the dredging activities in Odisi Road because it was their main source of income and livelihood. A resident, who craved anonymity for fear that she might be victimized by those protecting the dredgers, called on the ministry of environment to regulate activities and relocate dredging sites away from residential areas.

“The dredging activities along Odisi Road are one of the major problems we are facing. All they are after is their business. They want to make money at the expense of the landlords, landladies and tenants along Odiri Road. The activities of tipper owners, dredgers, and sand beach owners along Odisi Road are the main reason the road is in this deplorable condition.”

“Something has to be done for the sake of lives and properties in Odisi Road. If nothing is done, the houses built along this sand beach location are under threat of collapsing in just a matter of time.

“They are digging in ordinary ground, not mining from the main river, exposing these houses to future danger. We want to appeal to the governor and to the ministry of environment to come to our aid. These people can go somewhere else to do their dredging activities and not close to the foundation and to people’s houses,” the residents said.

Pastor Glory Okoro, who is the chairman of the landlords’ and landladies’ association in the area, appealed to the state government to come to their aid, saying the road became deplorable about two years ago when more buildings started springing up. He said the rain worsened the condition since it was an earth road.

He said that when he built his house in the area in 2013, the road was a bit okay, but as time went on, since the rains started, the road had become impassable. Okoro disclosed: “We initially maintained it ourselves, but the damage has worsened over the years. The road links key areas, Warri River, Escravos, and Warri NPA, and it is vital to us. We are pleading with the government to fix it.

“We know the governor has been working on many roads in the state, hence, we are appealing to him to see how this road can be asphalted and made motorable for us. We have written to the governor’s office before now but there was no response. So, we are still begging for the road to be fixed.”

Bethel Iweriebor, another landlord, described the challenges they face thus: “During rains, we cannot access our homes. We have to park our vehicles far away and walk, risking theft or damage to our vehicles. The situation is dangerous and unbearable. We pray our governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, will help us fix this road.

“It has been our call and prayer that the road should be tarred. We want to appeal to Governor Oborevwori to consider the plight of the people living at Odisi Road. The road is in a very bad state. When it rains, we cannot access our houses. We can’t go home. We have to park very far from our residence, and it has become a great threat to us.

“At times, when you park your car where you cannot watch or look after it, you come back to find out that the car is no longer in a good state. A tyre or battery could be missing. So we are praying and asking, ‘God, when will this thing end?’

“We are praying that God should use our governor to fix this road and make life good for us and make this place comfortable for us. We cannot regret building houses in Odisi Road. We want to be comfortable in this environment, and we hope it can be done with the help of our governor.”

Mrs. Nkechi Oliseh, treasurer of the landlords’ association, said: “Businesses are collapsing. Shops are closing, tenants are leaving, and economic activity has ground to a halt. Our community’s livelihood needs urgent action.

“The road is really giving us great concern. To come out is a problem, to go inside is a major challenge. We find it difficult to get to our houses. People with cars and buses go to the mechanic workshop every day. Even those who trek find it difficult to come out. This morning, I saw some schoolchildren who almost fell on my way out. So, we really need the governor to come to our aid.

“People that have land cannot sell it well. People that have shops are finding it difficult to trade, and businesses are not moving well. So many shops are packing up, and tenants are relocating just because of the bad road.

“We have tried our best, but there is no way we can do it all. We really need the government to come to our aid. We know we cannot force the government, but we can only beg them. So, we are begging the government to, please, come to our rescue in Odisi Road.

“Our community needs government’s support to restore this vital road and ensure safety and economic viability. The current state is unacceptable, and we hope our governor will heed our call.”

Odisi Road stands as a stark reminder of infrastructural neglect and its impact on local communities. As residents continue to endure hardships, their hope remains that swift government action will bring relief and restore dignity to their neighbourhood.

(This report was originally published by Daily Sun)