The chairman of the National Union of Heavy Truck Industrial Drivers of South/South and South/East Zones, Comrade, Alhaji Muhammed Umar Giwa, has decried the deplorable state of the East/West road in Eleme Axis of Rivers State, saying, the road is not only deplorable, but it’s a death-trap to numerous motorists and commuters that ply it daily.
Speaking to newsmen recently at his of office in Eleme near Port Harcourt, Comrade Giwa, noted that a lot of their trucks have been destroyed by the bad road while some of their drivers have lost their lives not necessarily due to their carelessness, but the frustrating nature of the bad road.
“The economic importance of the East/West road cannot be over-emphasize, because it is the road that leads to most of the industrial hub of the state, most of the industries and companies in Rivers State are located in Onne and Eleme Axis of the State and it’s the same road that leads to Akwa Ibom and Cross River States and even up to Cameroon” and wondered why the federal government has been reluctant to effect any meaningful and serious repairs on this economic important road.
According to him, the inability of federal government of Nigeria to carry out effective and permanent repairs on the road, is the height of insensitivity of government on the plight of the users of the East/West road.
He advised the federal government to keep politics out of the imminent repair of the road and endeavor to repair the road immediately and re-construct the bridge which is at the verge of collapse.
“This road is like death-trap to our union members. There is no week that our trucks do not break down and there is no week that we do not lose our drivers on the road due to the deplorable nature of the road. We therefore implore the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led federal government to urgently effect permanent repairs on the road for the betterment of the economy of Nigeria and humanity”
Comrade Giwa, who is also the Barden Yamma of Katsina and the Wambai of Port Harcourt, said the enormity of damage already done on the road as a result of its long term neglect has certainly taken an unprecedented toll on the already unhealthy road to the dismay and anger of the road-users and quickly asked what is the offence of the business operators of the Eleme Axis of Rivers State and the daily-users of the road.
He noted that the deplorable nature of the road presently is beyond the capacity of the state government and Eleme Local Government Council to effect temporary repairs on it.
Also speaking on the same issue, the Deputy Chairman of the National Union of Heavy Truck Industrial Drivers South/South Zone branch, Alhaji Shuaibu Ibrahim, said because of the deplorable nature of the road, most drivers have unwillingly packed their trucks and apparently stayed out of business because the road is causing so much damages on their trucks.
He said both Rivers State government and Eleme Local Government Council have certainly done their best by effecting temporary repairs in the past; but the condition of the road presently requires serious repairs by federal government, and quickly called on federal government to do the needful.
