Residents, Road Users Beg For Rehabilitation Of Nkpolu Road

Following the deplorable state of Nkpolu axis of the East/West Road, residents and commercial drivers plying the route, have appealed to government at all levels to rehabilitate the road now that the dry season is setting in.

The Tide reports that last year’s flooding had left the road impassable, thereby cutting off Rumuosi up to Choba axis from Nkpolu up to Rumuokoro section.

It would be recalled that residents in the area had staged several protests to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the deplorable condition of the road to no avail.

The Tide gathered that some religious organisations had, in the past, donated hard cores and stones to fill up the hollows caused by flood as temporary measure.  This was amidst several unfulfilled promises made by the Federal Government agencies to rehabilitate road.

Speaking to The Tide recently, a community leader, Chimzi Ovundah, said “Nkpolu Community is really facing a serious environmental hazard that seems to be endless, because for over three years now, this problem has been lingering, yet government could not give us and the road any attention. Several protests have been carried out, both peaceful and violent ones, of which lives have been lost in the agitation for the rehabilitation of the road.

“Federal government agency like Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) came here at the middle of last year, 2019, surveyed the area and assured to commence the repair of the road.  We all clapped hands for them with the hope that action would be taken, but to no avail.

“Shortly after the inauguration of federal ministers by President Buhari, the Minister for Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio visited and also made promise to rehabilitate the road but no sign till date.

We are appealing now that the flood has is the best time to achieve a lot in the rehabilitation work than to allow another rainy season which has already started threatening to set in”.

A commercial taxi driver along Nkpolu-Choba route, Adegoke Jimoh, said “the Federal Government; neglect of the road for almost three years now, no matter the outcry and protest, seems as if this area is not part of the country.

We are begging them (the government) to help us specially we, the drivers; the rate of damage to our cabs due to bad road has increased and is affecting the maintenance cost also. We are appealing to the Federal Government, NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, state and local governments to come to our aid”