Communities protest over dilapidated road to Godswill Akpabio Intl’ Stadium

Residents of several communities around the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, have expressed deep concern about the excessive flooding of the access road to their neighbourhoods, which serves as a major route to the stadium.

According to them, the road, which has been in a deplorable and impassable state, has led to a stall in economic activities and brought untold hardship to the residents, especially during rainy seasons.

Tribune reported that the road was recently asphalted from Goodluck Boulevard to the main entrance of the stadium, but the section immediately after the stadium, which runs through four communities of Obio Etoi, Obio Offot, Use Ikot Ebio, and Ikot Ntuen Nsit up to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, remains uncompleted.

The none-asphalted section of the road is constantly flooded, caused by the drainage channel from the stadium into the communities.

Mr Ntiense Okon, the community liaison officer, speaking with our correspondent on Thursday, stated that the deplorable state of the Stadium road, being the major access road from the stadium into the communities, had caused many residents to move out of the area. He also emphasized that the road is critical to provide an alternative route to the stadium in case of emergency.

“This road is nearer to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital than the Abak axis, and if constructed, it will provide a rapid medical response in case of emergency,” Mr Okon said.

One of the residents, the Eteidung of Afaha Nsit village, Chief Idongesit Udofia, appealed to the outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, to direct contractors to help the communities before leaving office on May 29, 2023. He explained that the impassable state of the road had heightened criminal activities in the communities because the police cannot access the communities during distress calls.

“We were excited when the stadium was sited on our land; now we cannot access our houses because of bad roads caused by drainage channelled into our communities. When they play international matches, security operatives even stop us from going into our houses,” Chief Udofia alleged.

The poor state of the road into the host communities of Godswill Akpabio International Stadium has left the residents feeling like they are “living on the bank of the river and washing one’s hands with spittle,” according to Chief Udofia.

Another community leader, Prince Godwin Udofia, pleaded with the outgoing governor to visit the host communities of Godswill Akpabio International Stadium and bring relief to the residents before his final exit from government.

Mr Etebong Asuquo, a resident of Obio Offot, one of the host communities, lamented that his house was always flooded whenever it rains, and he appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the communities by sending a competent construction company to fix the road for the benefit of the residents.

Despite several attempts to contact the Commissioner of Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga, to comment on the issues, his lines were switched off at the time of filing this report. The counterpart in the Ministry of Special Duties, Engr. Bassey Okon regretted his inability to talk.

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