LAGOS NOVEMBER 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Group under the aegis of Isoko Youths Renaissance Front (IYRF) has expressed displeasure over the abandonment of the Ughelli-Asaba dualisation road project by Delta State government under the leadership of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa.
The youths who expressed their displeasure over the abandonment of the project to the Special Project Director, Chief Sunny Onuesoke during one of his surprise visit to the Oleh office of the construction company said they were disappointed with the way and manner Okowa had kept silent over the completion of the project which was abandoned after the departure of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan from office as the governor of Delta State.
The road was divided into three segments. Segment ‘A’ was from Ughelli to Aradhe in Isoko North; Segment ‘B’ runs from Aradhe to Ossissa in Ndokwa West and Segment ‘C’ is from Ossissa to Asaba, with three contractors handling them.
Speaking through their leader, Mr. Austin Oloku Esajabor the youths said the failure of the present government to complete the project which had been on for the past eight years had cost indigenes of Isoko Communities both economical and social harm.
He said the pot holes in the abandoned road has become a death trap hence many of their people have lost their lives as a result of accident on the bad roads.
According to him, hoodlums have taking opportunity of the bad roads to waylaid and robbed motorist plying the roads of their cash and valuables, adding that many of their indigenes have been abducted on the road and ransom running into millions of Naira paid to rescue them.Food,Kidnap,Robbers,Ughelli -Ioko North LGA
“The abandoned projects had serious effect on the economy of Isoko people as vehicles have refused to come and evacuate farm proceeds because of the bad road. Most of our farm produce like yam, plantain, cassava, garri and others rot away in the bush because there is no access road for the vehicle to come to evacuate the products,” he lamented.
The youth leader urged Onuesoke to take their message to Okowa for urgent implementation of the project, stressing that if nothing is done about it at the shortest time they may take laws into their hands by preventing vehicles from plying the Ughelli-Isoko North axis of the road.
Responding to their request, Onuesoke appealed to the aggrieved isoko youths to exercise patience, adding that the contractors handling the projects would soon resume construction work after the rains.
Appealing for patience and understanding among the communities along the project alignment, Onuesoke said, “We should all understand the present state of the economy of the country which has to do with fall in oil price and the consequence it has on the 36 states of the country. Get it right that Okowa government cannot and will not abandon the project because of its economic importance to the state.”