Failed portions of the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia highway

Ikpeazu vows to repair Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia highway ‘with or without FG’s approval,’ as MOUAU students protest incessant killing of colleagues by motorists

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[From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia]

Following the crushing to death of a final year student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and subsequent protest of students of the institution, Abia Government has offered to repair some portions of the failed Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene highway, along which the school is located.

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Failed portions of the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia highway

Abia State Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, who disclosed this in a statement he issued in Umuahia following the Monday morning protest by MOUAU students, said an indigenous contractor has been mobilized to commence palliative work on the failed portions by tomorrow (Wednesday, October 6, 2021.

A final year Female student of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management of MOUAU, identified as Chidinma Ogbonna, was last Sunday evening crushed to death around Timber Market axis of the Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene road by a truck carrying full lengths of iron rod.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State

Her death led to a protest by students of the institution on Monday.

Reacting to the development, Okiyi narrated efforts already made by the state government to rehabilitate the failed portions of the road.

“Early last week, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu invited the State’s Commissioner for Works, Elder Bob Ogu, to a meeting in his office and directed him to mobilize a contractor to immediately execute palliative repairs of failed portions of Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road, after receiving reports on the terrible state of the federal road leading to the prestigious Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), and the attendant hardship experienced by commuters who use the road that also links our state to some neighboring states,” Okiyis said

“After assessing the work to be done there, the Honorable Commissioner reverted to the Governor last Friday and informed him that they would have to get written permission from the Federal Ministry of Works before commencing work as the said road has already been awarded by the federal government and handed over to the contractors who are claiming that adequate funds have not yet been provided for commencement of the work.

“At that point, the Governor was really furious and asked: ‘is there a deliberate plan to totally destroy trade and commerce in this state and punish our people?’ He recalled that the federal government also awarded Aba-Ikot Ekpene Highway since 2017 and could not do any effective work on it for so long up to this year to the extent that the state government had to commence reconstruction of the road from Opobo Junction, Aba area, using rigid pavement (cement) technology.” the statement added,

The Commissioner said that on Sunday, Governor Ikpeazu received information that an articulated truck fell along the bad portion of Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene federal road, killing a student of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, identified as Queen, and has vowed to repair the road with or without approval by the federal government.

“He has directed the state Ministry of Works to mobilize Pumeco Construction Company to move in and implement palliative repairs along the bad portions of that important road from Wednesday with or without approval from Federal Ministry of Works.

“In addition, the Governor expresses his personal condolences and that of the good people of Abia State to the bereaved family, students and staff of the university over the sad and unfortunate incident.

“Abia state Government is in solidarity with the students who protested earlier today and wishes to assure them that help is on the way. Aside from the palliative work we are commencing this Wednesday, we will engage the Federal Ministry of Works on the need to fund road projects in our state or allow us to work on those roads already tied with federal contracts,” Okiyi said.

He further used the opportunity to explain that federal roads in Abia were in deplorable conditions and nothing but death traps and moves by the state to revamp them have been rebuffed by the federal government.

According to him, “aside from Aba-Ikot Ekpene and Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highways that are in terrible conditions, other federal roads leading to our major commercial and agricultural hubs such as Abe-Port Harcourt Segment of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway, Umuahia-Uzuakoli-Ohafia Road, Arochukwu-Ohafia-Bende Road etc, are death traps that cannot, by any standard, be described as roads.

“The most painful part is that these are the major roads leading to our centres of trade, commerce and agriculture, the mainstay of our people. Indeed, visitors to our state form opinions about the state based on the poor state of these federal roads and until they are fixed it will remain difficult to appreciate the work the Ikpeazu-led administration has done to renew our infrastructure since 2015.

“Abia State Government moved to fix the Osisioma-NNPC Depot Road in Aba, belonging to the federal government, two years ago and after working on more than 1km of the road the Federal Ministry of works sent a letter directing the Abia State government to leave the federal road which they claimed to have been awarded for reconstruction. Two years down the line, absolutely nothing has been done as the federal contractor claims he is yet to be funded. Our appeal to allow us to fix the key road for a future refund fell on deaf ears,” he revealed.

It would be recalled that thousands of students of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), in Abia State, in the early hours of Monday, blocked the Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia road resulting in heavy traffic congestion in protest against what they described as incessant killing of their colleagues by drivers plying the dilapidated road.

The Umuahia-Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene Federal Road has turned into a death trap due to its state of dilapidation, even as it has become a nightmare for road users. Worse still, no form of rehabilitation is currently being carried out on the road. The poor state of the road has led to loss of lives and property worth billions of naira, almost on weekly basis.

Locales say that failed portions of the Umuahia- Ekebedi Ariam axis in Ikwuano has led to 80 per cent hike in transportation fare in the area.

The latest victim of the bad road, a final year female student of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management, identified as Chidinma Ogbonna, was last Sunday evening crushed to death around Timber Market axis of the Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene road by a truck carrying full lengths of iron rod.

The latest incident came just two months after a fresh female graduate of the institution who came to complete her clearance was similarly crushed to death, some metres away from the university gate, by a cement-laden truck.

It was gathered that the protesting students who blocked the federal road and bearing placards some of which inscriptions read: “Rubber Stamp National Assembly, Fix Our Roads, #Justice for Queen,” Umuahia/Ikot Ekpene Road Now a Death Trap, #Justice for Queen,” had, as early as 6.47 am, gathered in front of the Vice Chancellor’s Office, chanting solidarity songs, a situation which created panic within the university community.

The Students Union Government (SUG) President, Comrade Chukwuma Ogochukwu, told newsmen during the protest that the deplorable state of Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene federal Road has claimed the lives of many students, adding that the most recent, was the crushing to death of Chidinma Ogbonna.

Comrade Ogochukwu added that they did not come to MOUAU as students to be killed by vehicles, stressing that the protest was peaceful while the idea was to pressurize the Federal Government to fix the road which was in a deplorable condition. He added that the road would claim more lives, if nothing was done urgently to fix it.

When the students headed to the capital city of Umuahia, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were seen stationed at strategic points within the city as measure to forestall possible hijack of the peaceful protest.

In a swift reaction, the University administration in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Adanma Odefa, while commiserating with the family of their late student, Miss Chidinma Ogbonna, disclosed that it has reached out to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) with a view to getting it to carry out a palliative work on the failed portions of the road.

“For the past few weeks, the Vice Chancellor, through his Special Adviser on Projects, Engr. Richard Onyeaso, invited the local FERMA on an inspection of the bad spots, took pictorial evidence and prepared a strong appeal letter to FERMA.

“The Vice Chancellor personally took these documents to FERMA headquarters in Abuja to make further physical appeals. His efforts were rewarded with an official approval for palliative work to begin on the road.

The release further disclosed that the Vice-Chancellor addressed the protesting students, thanking them for keeping their protest peaceful and also for extracting a promise from the State Government to commence palliative work on the said road.

“He therefore, appeals to the students and entire University community to maintain calm and return to their lawful businesses while we wait for FERMA and/or the State Government to mobilize and begin work on the road.

“We further appeal to the operators of mini-buses, tricycles (‘keke’) and motorcycles (‘okada)operators to be more responsible in operating these vehicles. Their recklessness is, unfortunately, a major contributor to some tragic incidents that could be avoided,” the statement added.

The school said it was deeply “saddened” by the death of Chidinma Ogbonna, describing it as a great loss. “We ask her family to please accept our heartfelt condolences,” it added.

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