The Esan Okpa Initiative (EOI), a socio-cultural organisation committed to the development of the Esan nation, has called on the federal government and Edo State government to urgently intervene to rehabilitate the bad roads in that part of the state. Members of the group argued that the bad roads not only compound the insecurity crisis in the zone but could endanger the economy.
The Esan Okpa Initiative, in a statement by the President, Mathew Egbadon, and the Public Relations Officer, Tony Iyare, declared: “dilapidated roads and gully erosion have made it difficult to move blissfully from one point to another. The worse hit are farmers who now find it arduous to move their produce to the markets, thereby worsening the food crisis in Esanland.”
The group decried that that the roads in Esanland, which has five local governments in Edo Central, “have become craters and death traps.”
According to the group, the situation has “compounded the insecurity crisis bedeviling the communities massed in Esanland, making it impossible for the people and particularly farmers to move their products to the markets.
“With huge unemployment staring the people in the face owing to lack of industrialisation, our largely agrarian communities can ill afford any impediments to agricultural production already reeling from insecurity crisis pervading our communities.”
The group berated the contractor and the government over the slow pace of work on the Benin-Auchi road, under dualization over several years, demanding urgent interventions of the Federal Government to hasten construction work on the road, which the group said appears abandoned.
The statement read in part: “Apart from the virtually abandoned Benin-Auchi road which has left craters around Opoji and Ujoelen junctions in Ekpoma, rendering the road impassable, many dread the approach of the rainy season that will further imperil commuting in that section particularly for trailers and heavy-duty trucks ferrying goods between the south and the northern parts of the country.
“There’s also the need to hasten work on the dualisation of the Uromi-Igueben-Ebelle-Igbaken-Agbor junction road to prevent the rate of carnage that occurs regularly on the road.
“Priority needs to be given to the Iruekpen-Sabo-Ifon Road rehabilitation project being undertaken by the Federal Government which has also been abandoned, creating a haven for hoodlums and kidnappers within the area.”
The Esan Okpa Initiative protested that the Uromi–Uzea federal road commenced during the tenure of former Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolemenmen, now in decrepit state, constitutes serious danger to residents living in Uzea and the environs.
The initiative noted that the railway terminal sighted at Ohe Village on the Irrua/Uzea road, provided no relief to the people, adding that hoodlums and kidnappers have taken over the road.
The group lamented that the non-completion of the Ewu erosion/gully ecological project, funded by the federal government after many years. “That this menace has virtually split the town into two should have dictated more haste,” the Initiative stated.
Esan Okpa described it as disheartening the bad condition of many state roads. The group demanded the Edo State Government to urgently intervene on the following roads in Esanland.
Esan West LGA
Opoji Junction at Ekpoma – Ugbegun road leading to Opoji
Egoro Naoka – Ujiogba-Ugbegun link roads
Rumudumu/Ujeolen to Iruekpen phase 2 road project which was abandoned, after completion of the first phase.
Ekpoma-Emuhi-Urohi road linking Ehor communities
Ekpoma Eguare – Ukhun – Idoa road
Ogwa – Ugun road
Igueben LGA
Ebelle to Amahor road
Ebelle – Okalo road
Udo – Ewatto – Ewohimi road to boost the tourist center and the Udo rainstorms, built by the Ogbemudia regime.
Ebelle – Ewohimi road – providing shorter route to farmlands of residents of the communities, who go through a longer route from Ebelle to Ekpon to Ewohimi, to the neighbouring communities.
Esan Central LGA
Irrua – Ijuawele – Uzea leading to Auchi and neighbouring communities
Irrua – Opoji road
Esan Northeast LGA
Uromi Angle 80 to Ubiaja – Ilushi road
Esan Southeast LGA
Ubiaja – Udo Road
Ubiaja – Ugboha road
Emu – Emununkha – Urowa road connecting Iyenlen, the boundary town between Edo and Delta states.
Ewatto – Ohordua road after the Ela’s River, from Ubiaja. The group lamented that the contract was awarded by the NDDC many years ago, but no significant work has been done; noting that the road has become a den for kidnappers and hoodlums who prey on travelers, market women and farmers in the neighboring communities.
Ohordua – Emunokha road of Emu community that leads to Eka, Aniocha and Asaba in Delta State.
Ugboha – Ilushi, connecting Auchi.
The Esan Okpa Initiative called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to abide by his campaign promises to many of these communities and provide them succor by redressing these roads that are virtually in shreds.
The group commended Senator Clifford Ordia, representing the Edo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly for influencing the re-construction of the Irrua-Opoji Ekpoma, Ujeolen and Emuhi link roads which were re-awarded few weeks ago; including the completion of the Usugbenu – Uromi road, started by the former Minister of Works and Housing, Arch. Mike Onolemenmen.