The people of Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo have sent a ‘Save Our Soul’ to the Federal and Imo governments over the deplorable 51 km Oba-Akokwa-Arondizuogu-Uga-Amichi- Okigwe Federal Expressway.
They said that the road constructed in 1982 by the then Shehu Shagari administration had now become a death trap to members of the community and environs.
The community made the appeal during a protest by youths of the area who demanded urgent government attention on the road which they said cut across the other four southeastern states.
The protesting youths carried placards with inscriptions that read; “Save our Soul’’, “Government our last Hope”, ”Our people are dying”, “Economic activities crumbling,” and “The suffering is unbearable.”
Other inscriptions were; “Our people are dying”, “Stop killing and stop kidnapping”, “No election here in 2023 unless FG fixes this road”, “Okigwe/Arondizuogu road has become kidnappers den”, and “We need urgent help.”
They added that the road had become a death trap and a haven for armed robbers, and kidnappers who took advantage of the bad sections to terrorize the people of the area and other commuters.
They urged the Imo government to prevail on the contractor handling the road construction that they claimed had been paid a substantial amount of money but did not finish the road to mobilize back to the site to fix the road.
The traditional ruler of the area, and Chairman of the Arondizuogu Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Kosmann Kanu decried the state of the road and solicited government intervention.
Kanu, also Chairman, Ideato North Council of Traditional Rulers, and Community Policing, said that the dilapidated condition of the federal road had affected the economic life of the people of the area.
Commenting, the traditional ruler of Ndiakunwata Iheme autonomous community also in Arondizuogu, Eze Martin Orizu, also expressed dismay over the bad condition of the road.
He said that the federal road was awarded years back to a construction company with a huge sum of money paid.
He added that the road connects the five southeast states of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Anambra.
“The contractor was duly paid, but he did a very shabby and poor-quality job which failed the following year, and now is completely deplorable and worse than when it was awarded by NDDC.
“The people of Arondizuogu Ancient Kingdom have made several appeals to the contractor, and the management of the company that kept making empty promises,” he said.
Orizu also decried what he termed the high level of criminal activities on Ikpaora, Ikpeze Uno, Obiinetiti, and Ndimoko junction, which had remained unabated.
He further regretted that their people were being killed, raped, robbed, and daily disposed of their possessions in the area.
“We are tired of begging, and we want the government to intervene. We want government, relevant bodies, and security agencies to compel the contractor to come and fix the road,” he said.
Some of the community members also expressed their grouse over the road condition.
Messrs Obinna Opaleke, and Mike Nwosu from Ndi-akaeme Arondizuogu, said that indigenes of the area had to go through other routes to get to their destinations, and urged the government to look into their situation.