Arinze Chijioke
Early this November, I had a story I needed to tell in Oyigbo, a local government in Rivers State. Travelling to this location through Aba, the commercial city of Abia State ordinarily is a roughly 1-hour drive, and the shortest route.
For those who do not know, the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway is the most important road in the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria, connecting at least six states.
But before I set out, I was advised against travelling through Aba because of how the Aba-Port Harcourt Road had become a death trap. It is currently one of the most deplorable Federal roads in the country.
But I insisted. I wanted to have a feel of what businessmen and women who ply the road on daily basis pass through because of a lack of clear commitment to fix the Federal road. I bet it is a journey you don’t want to embark upon.
Those who cannot endure the pains are having to travel through a community known as Etche in Rivers State which is a longer route to Port Harcourt.
In 2018, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced the approval for the the redesign and reconstruction of the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway at the cost of N6.3 billion. There have been several reports about approvals of the projects. Yet, nothing has changed. It seems like the Federal Government has been working on this road since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden – with nothing to show for it.
Travelling along the road, it is common to see trucks stuck in the mud. Some of them are those whose owners have abandoned. Others are being worked upon by the drivers.
Community boys have also turned some sections of the road into a money-making venture as they now stop vehicles and force drivers to pay a fee before they can drive past. The boys are always out filling potholes. It gets worse whenever it rains.
As I journeyed along the road, I captured the struggles of commuters. Below are some pictures.
