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Wednesday

ENUGU-ONITSHA EXPRESSWAY CALLS FOR URGENT GOVT. ATTENTION

The Enugu-Onitsha expressway has been regarded as the major road connecting the South East and South South , through the Niger Bridge, linking Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States, as well as the North, via Benue and Kogi States.
Over the years, this all-important road, home to heavy vehicular traffic, has been in a very deplorable state. How the Trunk-A highway went from bad to worse remain a puzzle to many road users.
Commuters exclaimed  that maintenance of the roads should be given the attention it deserves, owing to it all- important nature and being one of the major connecting roads that link both north and south axis of the country.

For years now, road users have been having ugly experience plying this road due to its dilapidated nature.
Successive administrations had made promises to rehabilitate the road, such promises usually heightened when elections drew near and no sooner would a new government come in than the promise was forgotten.
Accidents have become frequent. Trucks and fuel tankers meandering past the failed sections risk overturning. On a rainy day, the situation is worse, as the road is flooded due to lack of drainage.
Cross section of the motorists lamented that such all-important national facility like this road should not be used as an instrument of political mechanism.
Track Up
Ikechukwu Obi (Bus Conductor) back to back, Rev. Silas Okeke (Clergy) back to back No Name ( Passenger) back to back Zack Ibe (Butcher) back to back  No Name (Bus Driver) back to back Sunday Uteh (Motor Conductor) back to back Cyprian Okpara (Motor Cyclist) back to back Madubuko Chidiebere  (Motorist)
Though acknowledged it is a federal road, the road users however called on the state government to provide a succor to ameliorate the sufferings of the people by providing a palliative measure on the road to make the road motorable.
The Onitsha-Enugu expressway was constructed and been in use since 1980, it has been in a bad state of repair. While experts posit that maintenance of roads facilities should be given the attention it deserves by promptly funding the agencies involve.
 Meanwhile, hope arises as the governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano announced that the state government has been given a waiver to carry out a palliative alignment on the road.
This was made public in an interview with the state commissioner for works, Lawrence Chinwuba in Awka, assured the state government would swing into action to quickly arrest this bad portion of the road before trains are over.
He solicited for the cooperation of the commuters on the road to endure with his men when work commences on the road.
On his part, the sector  commander Federal Road  Safety Corp, Sunday Ajayi, assured his men readiness to ensure there is free flow of traffic even in the diverted potion of the road.
Track Up
Sunday Ajayi (Sector Commander, FRSC, Anambra Command)
 Our correspondent gathered that these portions of the  road are badly affected, travelling from Amansea-Agwu-Awka section, through Igbariam- Awkuzu section and Umunya  in Anambra Stat , the worst stretch is the Awkuzu -Umunya axis.
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