By Paul Nwosu
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, appears to favour the construction of new roads at the expense of maintaining the existing ones, which have long been the backbone of economic activities across the southern part of the country.
My recent trip by road from Anambra State to Lagos was nothing short of horrifying. The journey revealed the deplorable state of the highways. This was the same trip we made years ago with so much pleasure, stopping at various points to buy cheap foodstuffs or enjoy hot, spicy local meals with bush meats at Ofosu and Ore. Now, the same highways have become trails of agony and tears, where vehicles must wade through muddy lakes collected in crater-sized trenches that were once smooth, tarred roads.
For starters, as soon as you enter Asaba, you’re confronted with a frightening “go-slow” that seems to forewarn you of what lies ahead. The reason for the congestion and chaotic driving, with vehicles swerving into the wrong lane, is the complete collapse of the left side of the express road. Moving further, our driver, along with others, had to detour onto Nebisi Road, meandering through unfamiliar alleys and dirt roads before resurfacing at the upper end of the expressway near the Rain Oil mega filling station.
Approaching Ubulu Okiti, oncoming vehicles frantically veer into your lane. Why? Because the left side of the road has caved in and is impassable.
From there to Agbor, Abudu, Igbogiri/Ugomosa Junction, and up to the Ukhuaihe Police Station, the story remains the same: vehicles zigzagging from one side of the highway to the other, trying to avoid treacherous trenches and gullies that our Trunk ‘A’ roads have become.
At the Benin bypass junction and onto the bypass itself, you’re reminded of Fela Anikulapo’s lyrics, “Suffering and Smiling.” But in this case, the smile is a mirthless one – a smile of pity for how far we have fallen in maintaining the infrastructure built with so much public money.
From Okada to Ofosu and down to Shagamu, the experience is the same. You can’t go 100 meters without swerving to the other side of the road or watching oncoming vehicles veer into your lane, all in a bid to avoid vehicle-damaging ditches.
The only moment of respite was when we finally joined the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Along these tortuous stretches, many articulated vehicles, unable to navigate the muddy pools, have either gotten stuck or toppled, spilling their freights, paid for by their clients. These blockages often precipitate the grueling traffic jams that commuters endure, albeit with so much anxiety. God help those commuters if the traffic gridlock isn’t cleared before nightfall, then a thriving economy of armed robbers and kidnappers will instantly emerge, along with innocent food vendors trying to make a living.
It is baffling that the Minister of Works and his army of federal highway directors would allow these vital roads to deteriorate to such horrific levels. It seems their main focus is the new 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar highway. While it’s commendable to expand road networks, it makes no economic sense to abandon the crucial existing ones. These should be maintained to support current economic activities until the much-anticipated Coastal “Flyway” is ready. Robbing Peter to pay Paul, or cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face, is hardly the right way to go in this case. Neglecting your children or stepchildren because you want more babies is irresponsible.
There should be a balanced approach, similar to what Governor Soludo is doing in Anambra State. While he is pushing forward with the construction of new roads, bridges, and flyovers, even during the rainy season, the Anambra Road Maintenance Agency (ARMA) is steadily reconstructing, patching, and resurfacing failed sections of the older roads. Anambra State Government has even gone beyond state roads to carry out major repairs on failed federal roads within the state at huge costs. Examples are the Oba section of the Onitsha-Owerri Road and the Uga juction section from the Niger Bridge head into Upper Iweka Road.
The current attitude of the Ministry of Works seems as though they are waiting for the Asaba-Benin-Shagamu road to be further decimated or completely obliterated, so the cost of repairs or replacements will make better sense.
I’m not insinuating anything .
Sir Paul Nwosu, PhD, is Editor-in-Chief, Anambra Times