As Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori led administration in Delta State celebrates 100 days in office with commissioning of projects, commuters plying the Obiaruku/Abraka Road in Ukwuani and Ethiope East local government areas have decried the deplorable condition of the road.
A visit to Obiaruku revealed that the road, which is the major link road to Abraka, a renowned community where Delta State University (DELSU) is located, was an ugly sight.
The road technically has been closed to vehicular movement, with a good number of broken or stocked up vehicles seen through the length of the road from the Obiaruku end.
In a chat, some of the commuters, mostly parents and students of the state university, said it is disheartening for the Delta state government to allow such an important road to degenerate to an ugly condition where citizens are subjected to untold hardship.
“Honestly, I find it difficult to believe that our state government, be it former or present, would pretend not to know the importance of this road to the generality of the people of this state.
“A link road that leads to a well-known university owned by the state and admits over two thousand students every year could be abandoned like this. This is the only road we know. This is the road we use often to take our children to school, come and pick them back to our base, as we are doing now.
“It is very unfortunate that the government does not know how to prioritize, they are celebrating 100 days in office and yet they couldn’t fix an important road such as this in 100 days. That is insensitive and more of man’s inhumanity to man,” Dr. Ufuoma Oghenekevwe, a parent lamented.
On the ownership of the road by the federal government being the reason the Delta state government has refused to take responsibility of fixing the road, the commuters said it would be gross irresponsibility for any government to abrogate an urgent responsibility geared towards alleviating the sufferings of its citizens to another, more so when the state government has the capacity to effect repairs, not even palliative repairs, just for the interest of the people of the state and for the very importance of the road to the people.
“Tinubu, Buhari or those in Abuja do not ply this road. It is me, our children and you that are in Delta state that ply this road every day. The governor and those that he sits with in council know.
“The reason that it is the federal government’s responsibility to repair the road, is not tenable. Who are we calling now, is it not the state government. Over 90% of commuters on this road do not know that it is the responsibility of the federal government to repair it and they don’t want to know.
“All they know is that this is Obiaruku and Abraka link road in Delta state and that the state governor has the responsibility of alleviating their sufferings occasioned by the deplorable condition of the road,” Dr. Oghenekevwe said.
“We are grateful to the state government and the vice chancellor for the infrastructure development in DELSU and the premium academic standard, but we are at a loss as to the reason the government should allow us and our parents to suffer serious hardship as a result of this road. Please help us to reach out to them,” Nkechi Okolie, a year three student of DELSU pleaded.
The commuters therefore, urged the State Governor, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, as a matter of urgency, direct for the immediate rehabilitation of the Obiaruku/Abraka road for the interest of the people of Delta State.
