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From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has raised alarm over what he described as “appalling” traffic congestion across major highways in Nigeria during the festive season, blaming much of the chaos on poorly positioned security checkpoints.
Obi on his verified ‘X’ handle on Sunday said he personally experienced severe gridlock while travelling across the country, noting that the situation was so bad that some commuters were forced to abandon their journeys after being trapped for hours on the road.
“This festive season, I traversed several major roads across the country and encountered appalling levels of traffic congestion.
“At times, the gridlock was so extreme that travellers bound for distant destinations were forced to abandon their journeys, wasting hours trying to escape the chaos,” he said.
Obi argued that the major cause of the delays was the siting of security checkpoints at narrow sections of roads and around construction zones, which he described as “irresponsible” and counterproductive.
“A closer inspection reveals that the primary contributor to this congestion is the ill-placed security checkpoints.
“Positioning these checkpoints at narrow points or near construction zones is nothing short of irresponsible, as it brings traffic to a complete standstill,” he stated.
While acknowledging the sacrifices of security personnel, Obi urged them to show greater flexibility and discretion during peak travel periods, warning that prolonged delays expose road users to serious danger.
“While I respect and recognise the sacrifices made by our security agencies, they must adopt greater discretion and flexibility during peak travel times.
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“People are returning to work, facing long distances, and contending with poor road conditions,” he said.
He added that the gridlock leaves drivers exhausted and increases the risk of road crashes.
“These unnecessary delays leave drivers exhausted, raising the risk of accidents as they struggle to stay alert behind the wheel.
“There is absolutely no justification for subjecting travellers to such avoidable setbacks,” Obi stressed.
To him, keeping motorists on the road until late hours because of checkpoint delays defeats the purpose of security operations.
“The purpose of security is to protect lives, not endanger them, extended delays force those who set out early to find themselves on the road well after dark, putting them at even greater risk in a time marked by rising insecurity,” he said.
He, therefore, called for a more strategic and coordinated approach to security checks on highways, including relocating checkpoints away from narrow roads, speeding up inspections during heavy traffic, and improving inter-agency coordination.
“Checkpoints must be strategically located away from narrow roads and construction zones, inspections need to be expedited during heavy traffic, and agencies must coordinate effectively to eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks,” he said.
