Take over failed 70 KLM Sapele -Eku-Abraka-Agbor Road, University Don Bebenimibo appeals to Delta Govt., Oborevwori
A human right activist, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, PhD, has appealed to Delta State Government to intervene in the 70 kilometres Sapele, Eku, Abraka, Obiaruku, Abavo, Agbor federal road in public interest.
Dr Bebenimibo who is also a lecturer in Delta state university, DELSU, Abraka in his letter of appeal made public decried the deplorable state of the Federal road and implored the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to ameliorate the harrowing hardship road users in that axis are passing through on a daily.
The university don who has served as a board member in the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission (DESOPADEC), between 2019 and 2023, lamented the neglect of the road by the Federal Government and advised the Governor to Liaise with federal to allow him work on the road for the betterment of road users.
His open letter to the governor which reads in part stated; “I am a regular user of the road mentioned above. The road is dilapidated and unpassable now. I know that the road is a Federal road, which the Federal Government has purportedly worked on in the last 12 years or more. However, this road is right in the middle of Delta State, cutting across eight Local Government Areas, including your local government area, Okpe. Others are Ika South, Ika North East, Ukuwani, Ethiope East, Sapele and Ughelli North Local Government Areas. In other words, people from these local government areas have used this road before it became unpassable.
“Even you, Mr Governor, have used this road from Asaba to Osubi, your home town and vice versa, because it is shorter to use from Asaba to Osubi juxtaposed to wherever you use today. If truth be told, the unpalatable condition of the road is a major contributor to the high cost of agricultural products in the state and other parts of Nigeria. The rickety state of the road also contributes to the prevailing insecurity in Delta State.
“It is also a significant contributor to the high cost of transportation in Delta State. The present state of the road is killing education in Delta State as two Universities in Delta State, namely Delta State University, Abraka and the University of Agbor are situated along the road; Staff and Students find it difficult to use the road right now.
‘‘Your Excellency Sir, the reason for not intervening on this road- that it is a federal road is untenable. It is Deltans that use this road; Deltans own farms along this road, and it is Deltans that are suffering. If you can construct fly-overs on a federal road in Warri and Effurun, there is no reason why you should not reconstruct this critical road for Deltans, including you. Sir, you have used this road before its present deplorable condition.
“Your Excellency Sir, it is time for you to approach President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow you to work on this road.Your colleague-governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State acted similarly lately, taking over the reconstruction of the 70 kilometres Lagos to Abeokuta Expressway. I respectfully remind you that former governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyensom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, constructed 12 fly-overs on federal roads in Rivers State to ease traffic in the South-South state. You can borrow a leaf from these two great men.
“Mr Governor sir, you made it copiously clear that you are a man of the people during your campaigns in 2023; and that you have enough dosage of “street credibility”, it is now that you have to demonstrate it against the time to come (2027). May Jehovah God see you through in piloting the affairs of Delta State. Amen”.
