Residents of communities along the Ekenwan Road axis of Benin City, Edo State capital, on Monday, trooped out in their thousands in protest against the deplorable state of the Ekenwan Road.
Besides, the protesting residents also frowned at the snail pace of the reconstruction of the road, which began some four years ago.
The protest disrupted both human and vehicular movements for the greater part of Monday morning as the residents, landlords and other commuters on the road lamented the ordeals they pass through on a daily basis on the road.
The protesters also noted that the few metres that had been constructed from Ring Road to Erediauwa Junction had started failing due to what they tagged as “substandard work”.
The protesters said they were drawn from Upper-Ekheuan, Ugbihoko, Oghede Agenigie, Ekheuan Barracks, Udo, Evbuotubu, Ugbine communities along the road. The reconstructed road is expected to terminate at Gelegele Village.
Addressing journalists, a landlord in the area who identified himself as Uche Nwabuzor, said “Why we are protesting is because of the bad road. They said the road was awarded to a construction company but I don’t really know because all this time, they will come and dig the roads and they are busy selling the sand, the old asphalt and the rods which they are excavating and right now, no road for us to pass again.
“In the evenings once it is 6 pm from Ring Road to Ugbikoko is N1,000. Some of us that have cars go to the mechanic’s workshop every day.
“We went to the site of the construction company, they told us the government has not reimbursed them, that is why the work is like that. We don’t know who is saying the truth or not so we decided to come out into the road to draw the attention of the governor so that the world will hear our cry as common men and maybe that will make them come to do the work because this was not what the governor promised us.
“When the governor came to campaign in Upper Ekenwan, he said immediately he resumes office this road will be fixed but this work is up to four years now and it is even worse now so the suffering is too much. If nothing is done, we are coming back again to block the road. I am a landlord in the area,” he promised.
Another protester, who simply identified himself as Osayi said, “I am a civil servant but I stay in this area. I have stopped driving my car home because I visit the mechanic every other day. I park in a friend’s compound by Erediauwa and then take public transport to the place and then drive my car to the office when I close I park it at my friend’s place and take public transport home.
“What is even more embarrassing is that the few metres they have tarred, the asphalted areas are already giving way. Go and look at Agho Junction, Ozigbo Junction, before the UNIBEN gate on both sides. If you are coming from Ring Road, there are already potholes. We are disappointed in what is happening”, Osayi lamented.
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