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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Tired of waiting for the Federal and State Government intervention on the deplorable state of Sapele Road in Benin, residents and road users yesterday, in protest, took over the bad portion of the road near the by-pass popularly called RCC Junction.
The dilapidated state of the road has adversely affected the usually smooth drive from Benin City to Sapele, Warri and other places in the Niger Delta region for several years now.
The protesters expressed their disappointment in the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as well as the Edo. State Government which they accused of insensitivity to the plight of the people.
They argued that the Edo state government could have fixed that portion of the road to the benefit of the people and then get a refund from the federal government.
Led by human rights activist, Patrick Eholor, the protesters carried placards with various inscriptions and vowed to continue the protest until the road is rehabilitated.
“We are tired of this kind of insensitivity of the government to the plight of the people.
“We must remind them of their responsibilities. We will make sure that we shut this road. They think that we are going to continue to suffer and smile. We are saying to Babatunde Fashola the Minister of Works that if your hands are tied because President Buhari has failed to do the needful, then resign if you don’t do that we are not leaving this road.
“This is just the beginning, we have been peaceful but we can take it to their doorsteps if there is need for that. They have to fix this road. We are tired of seeing police die, we are tired of seeing soldiers die, we are tired of seeing security agencies and other people die on this road. Accidents don’t recognize tribe and class.
“The governor ought to have taken action because this is his state by informing the state house of assembly and then referring the issue to the National Assembly through our representatives because people are dying and businesses have been destroyed.
“The people who we have elected into various political positions have failed us so we the citizens are saying that we are going to continue this protest until the minister comes here to fix this road. We are here to stay, if they can force us to take COVID-19 injection, we must force them to fix this road”, Eholor told journalists.
