The people of Umuegwu-Umueze Community in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State have appealed to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to consider rehabilitating the link road joining them with other communities both in Rivers and Abia states.
A paramount ruler in the area, Eze Sylvanus Ogbueri made the appeal in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
Ogbueri said the socio-economic life of the community was tied to the road but regretted that for years the road was abandoned because of its impassable state and urged the commission to come to the rescue of the people.
Ogbueri disclosed that from his personal effort, he hired the services of a construction company to grade the road after many years of abandonment and appealed to NDDC to help them in tarring and providing other components of the road.
The traditional ruler expressed worry that in spite of the fact that the community is a major oil-producing area, the natives were allowed to suffer such hardship.
The road called Uzo-Ikpor, he said exposed people to security challenges due to its poor state and that the two major markets – Afor-Ogwe in Ukwa West Local Government Area of  Abia State and Orie-Umueze in Umuogba, Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State were being cut off from the people.
“For our people to go to Afor Ogwe or our neighbours in Abia to come to our market Orie-Umueze, they have to pass through other roads which are very far from them,” he said, adding that this is posing serious economic challenge to the natives.
Ogbueri further noted that the poor state of the road was also affecting security personnel in patrolling the areas.
We appeal to the commission to come to our help because we are predominantly farmers and the state of the road is greatly hindering access to our farms, markets and also posing security challenges to us,” he said.

Chris Oluoh