°Wants Elumelu, others to wade in
The Ogbekenu village in Onicha – Ugbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, has raised the alarm over the deplorable condition of a major economically viable Federal road linking Edo State, Delta States and Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the Agba Ohaeze Royal family, Ogbekenu village, Mr. Laurence Izegbu, lamented that the Onicha -Ugbo – Abuja link road has become impassable and now a death trap to Motorists and other users.
While addressing a petition to the Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who is also representing Delta North Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, Abuja, Izegbu stated that as a result of the bad state of the road, frequent accidents occur even as hoodlums operate and attack unsuspecting motorists at night.
In the said Open letter which was copied to Honourable Godwin Elumelu, HON. Engineer Emeka Nwaobi and HON. Kevin Okwechime, Izuegbu informed the Senator that he is a member of his constituency and a stakeholder in the Onicha-Ugbo project.
He also told him that his choice of expeditiously reaching out to him via public channel was borne out of the magnitude of their current predicament.
According to him, the Onicha-Ugbo – Abuja link road through Idumuje Ugboko has been economically advantageous to commercial activities in the area.
“Due to its strategic placement of the said road, it has been the route of choice to heavy-duty trailers as well as commercial motorists en route to Abuja via Edo State.”
However, the deplorable road for about a year now, he said, has been tales of woes for residents, and more especially, for the members of Agba Ohaeze royal family in Onicha-Ugbo.
Izegbu, also lamented that due to “road infrastructural development, the topography of the expressway around the axis where the Royal family compound is situated has become elevated above the initial level.
“As a result, in the incidence of a heavy downpour, the family experiences devastating flooding as the surging deluge of water empties into the compounds, ravaging properties and valuables.”
To worsen matters, “the lack of drainages around this axis renders it nearly impossible for the flood to trickle out due to a lack of appropriate exit channels” , he said.
This lack of exit channels regrettably resulted in significant losses for the royal family, “a more frequent predicament during this rainy season”,
he added.
Izuegbu further complained that the activities of the rainy season have worsened the situation, as a section of the road along with Agba Ohaeze compound, Ogbekenu village is totally dilapidated, constituting a monstrous death trap. which now portends serious danger to both motorists and pedestrians alike.
Consequent upon this situation,
“hoodlums now utilize that spot as an ensnarement for unsuspecting motorists at night. This is just in addition to the series of accidents recorded as a result of the condition of that stretch of the road.”
Reminding Nwaoboshi that the road in question falls under his purview as the senator representing the area and also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, he appealed to him thus: “I ardently solicit for your prompt intervention within the shortest possible time to forestall further destruction and unfortunate incidents”.
He finally urged him to despatch engineers to inspect and assess the situation on the ground
