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Protesters block Benin-Auchi highway over worsening condition, task FG on rehabilitation.
About 500 road users were left stranded for hours yesterday, as protesters blocked the Ekpoma Axis of the Benin- Auchi Expressway in Edo State, over the poor state of the road.
The protesters, who vowed to occupy the road, until rehabilitation work commences, said palliative works done yearly on the busy highway have consistently failed due to heavy traffic.
The protest, which impeded human and vehicular movement, led to long queues within and around the University town of Ambrose Alli University to Ujoelen junction and the Benin axis of the road.
Many drivers of heavy-duty vehicles and other road users were forced to look for alternative routes to get to their destinations, even as the attendant gridlock stretched to Auchi axis up to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH).
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Convener, Esan Liberation Movement, Prosper Iyere, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, appealed to both the Federal and state governments to commence rehabilitation work on the road to save life and property on the road.
He said the protesters would occupy the road until the government responded to their demands to urgently fix the bad portion of the road.
“We have written several letters to all the members representing various constituencies in Edo Central and ministers from the state and the state governor on the state of the road. We gave them an ultimatum, which expired last Friday.
“The deplorable condition of the road has subjected us to untold hardship and we have decided that we will not leave until we see caterpillars, bulldozers and asphalt brought here. We have also volunteered that we will render selfless service to help the contractors ensure that the work is completed,” he added.
Reacting, Federal Controller of Works and Housing, Edo State, Dr. Razaq Aransiola, said unending litigations and citizens’ encroachment into the government’s right of way had contributed to the delay in the completion of the dualisation of the Highway.
He said some people created artificial obstacles and used the same to claim damages from the state government to the extent that the ministry was considering creating a bypass out of Ekpoma because of the volume of requests for compensation from residents.
MEANWHILE, a group of youths of Nkerehi/Umuchukwu community in Orumba South Local Council of Anambra State under the aegis of Idi N’otu Mamma Peace Initiative, yesterday, stormed Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s office to protest against the perceived move to foist a traditional ruler on the community.
Led by their leaders, Arinze Ibe, and Chukwuma Obi, they carried placards, some of which read: “Let’s get peace first before viewership election in our town “, and “Any crooked attempt to get viewership certificate will affect the ongoing peace process between Nkerehi /Umuchukwu now. Hon Nwabunwanne, come to our aide”
They urged the governor to halt any attempt at certifying anyone as their traditional ruler until normalcy was successfully restored in Nkerehi /Umuchukwu.
They reiterated that peace, which eluded the town in the past 16 years had gradually been restored with the intervention of Idi N’otu Mamma.
They, therefore, expressed shock at information rocking the town that the government was in the process of certifying a Monarch for the community.
According to Arinze Ibe, “peace eluded us since 2006 and today Idi N’otu kamma has moved in to restore peace. It’s after we successfully conclude the peace process that the issue of selection and enthroning of traditional rulers would come up.”
Chukwuma Obi also noted that the five villages making up the community were all represented in the peaceful protest march.
The Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Governor, Kingsley Nkuba, who received the protesters at the government house gate, commended their peaceful disposition and assured them that their matter would be laid before the governor.
