By Gboyega Odogun
Residents of Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State have appealed to the Federal Government and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to as a matter of urgency attend to the deplorable condition of Okene-Auchi Road to ease the plight of commuters plying the road.
The non-attention of FERMA to the worsening condition of the trunk ‘A’ Road that passes through Okene-Auchi to the eastern parts of the country has since the last one month created a nightmare for travellers.
Speaking on the bad nature of the road, the Chairman of Okene Local Government, Hon. AbdulRazaq Muhammed explained that the local government has since a month ago written officially to FERMA over the condition of the road.
He stated that due to the deplorable condition of Okene Checkpoint- Ohiana portion of the road, commuters, especially trailers, trucks and other articulated vehicles spend nights on the road before passing through the bad portion of the road.
“Most worrisome is that in the last two days, the gridlock created has extended to Okene township thereby blocking the major road that passes true the town,” he stated.
The council chairman, therefore, appealed to FERMA to do something urgently to remedy the condition of the federal road to alleviate the hardship being faced by commuters and other users of the road.
Also speaking on the deplorable state of Okene – Okpela – Auchi – Benin Road, a human rights activist, Ahmed Adoke, said the situation has already caused socio-economic hardship to Okene and its environ in the last one week.
“The grid of distance of six kilometres has become a daily affair in the one week. We are appealing to the Federal Ministry of Works to in the interest of Nigerians to come to the aid of the people by fixing the road.
“We are also using this medium to call on BUA cement factory and DANGOTE cement factory respectively who are most beneficiaries of the road because of their numerous trucks plying the road to desist from keeping mute over the current situation of the roads,” he said.
The regent to the Ohi of Okene, HRH. Alhaji Ibrahim Ige Obaro expressed worry over the hardship the situation has brought upon the residents of Okene and travellers alike, saying the situation has brought a total halt to vehicular movement in Okene town.
He appealed to FERMA and the federal ministry of works to complement the efforts of the Kogi State Government by fixing the federal road that passes through the State.
