Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
A group known as Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) has given governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State 14 days ultimatum to rehabilitate the deplorable Obodoukwu road in Okpoko, Ogbaru local government area of the state or it will mobilize for protest.
The group who in protest mobilized its members to the road to the mock the state government over the negligence of the road and other roads in the state to cut tap to commission the dilapidated road.
Chairman of HURIDE, Dede Uzor said that the Obodoukwu road was one of the many roads which have been in deplorable condition for years without adequate attention, saying that the road link Owerri road from Atani road to bridgehead Onitsha to Delta state.
He mentioned other road in such conditions within Onitsha and its environs such as; Ede road, Haruna by Main Market, Zik Avenue by Ochanja, Bida road, Port Harcourt road, Modebe Avenue among others which he said needed urgent attention.
According to him, “the road is very important economically to the state, unfortunately it has been abandoned and as a result has claimed many lives. About five tricycle (Keke) operators and their passengers have lost their lives on the road.
“We learnt that governor is too busy to pay attention to the rehabilitation of the road and other roads in the state. So we are helping him to commission some of the roads, so that any time he wakes up from slumber, he can come and do the needful.
“If after 14 days, there is no action by the governor, we will not hesitate to mobilize people to occupy the roads until he does something drastically on the road.
“In the same vein Haruna street links Main Market, the biggest market in the West Africa. At Haruna road, a Keke was sometime submerged by flood water where a pregnant woman and an elderly man of about 70 years died due to the bad portion of the bridge which is at the verge of collapse” stated.
The Chairman of Campaign for Democracy (CD) Mr. Ekene Nnadi called on the State House of Assembly to commence impeachment process against Governor Obiano for reneging on his constitutional duties.
Photo: members of HURIDE while commissioning the road in mockery of the state government for abandoning the road