Road named after Local Government chairman is a dead trap- residents cry out.

 

 

Residents of Otia - Igbanomaje community  in Otukpo local government area in Benue State are calling on the governments to urgently come to their aid as bad roads in their community have become a dead trap for the over one million   residents. 

They added that the roads have become impassable and all their efforts to sand fill and rehabilitate them to make them passable  have proved abortive.

One of such roads  according to investigation, is the George Ali Road  named after the Otukpo Local Government Chairman at Otia- Igbanomaje  community which  has become worst after contractors abandoned the road and this has worsen the bad state of the road.

When our correspondent visited the George Ali Road, a car, a container laden truck  and a tricycle  conveying fire woods were stuck in the mud.

A resident Maria Ekubeyela said " whenever it rains, the road is filled up with water which led to the death of a 4 year old boy returning from school as the water swept him away. I deal in firewood and the truck conveying the woods got stuck on the George Ali Road"

Another resident John Oche said " My dad was very ill but there was no road to take him through to the hospital. We had to drive through people's houses so as to get him to hospital. It was a terrible experience. When he died at home at night, we could not  take his corpse through the George Ali road which is the major road connecting Otia Igbanamaje community to the outside world. We were stuck  with his corpse in the car for hours until we find our way through people's houses as the George Ali  road was impassable". 

A motorcycle rider Daniel Ejeh said " I do not take passengers to Otia Iganomaje community because their roads are very bad. If I must go, I increase the fare from N50 to N100. There is need for government to work on that road. It is sad because the road is named after a local government chairman and a House of Representative member Honourable Egli built houses and own Egli Avenue in this community still, the roads are very bad ".

Another  resident Ode Adah said " The George Ali  road has been abandoned by contractors . Early in June  , no vehicle could ply the road. It was when a resident's daughter was preparing for her wedding that they worked on the road so that their visitors could drive pass.Every week, the youth work on the George Ali  road but this is not helping. Last weekend, a family which lost their dad had to sandfill the road with bricks they bought  and the youth worked from morning till noon to make it motorable but this is a temporary measure as soon as the rain falls, it will wash away all their efforts ".