PANDEF chairman laments deplorable south-south roads
By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
The National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali, has decried the deteriorating condition of roads across the South-South region, declaring that the oil-rich area has been reduced to a state of “crisis” despite being the nation’s economic backbone.
Speaking against the backdrop of the horrific state of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road, where motorists have been stranded for days amid severe gridlock, Igali said the Federal Government’s continued neglect of the region’s infrastructure was breeding bitterness and alienation among its people.
He said’ “We are the goose that lays the golden egg, but that goose has almost been starved.”
The PANDEF chairman recalled that about a month ago, he had held a press conference in Abuja to lament the Federal Executive Council’s approval of N3.9 trillion for 27 major road projects across the country, none of which were in the South-South.
He noted that of the 26 projects covering 15 states, the only one remotely connected to the region was the road linking Cross River and Benue states, which received just N86 billion out of the nearly N4 trillion allocation.
“I never said the President should only concentrate on one part of the country, even if we are the revenue base of the nation,” Igali said. “We only demand, and rightly so, to be treated with fairness and equity.”
Painting a grim picture of the region’s road network, Igali detailed the ordeal facing travellers daily. On the Benin-Sapele-Warri corridor, he said motorists at Mosogar can spend up to three or four hours navigating a single stretch. The once 40-minute journey from Warri to Sapele now takes two to three hours, if travellers can find passable routes at all.
The East-West Road, he said, “has become a metaphor for failed projects.” On the Port Harcourt axis towards Eleme Junction, the road is terribly bad, with commuters spending hours in traffic, especially at peak periods.
Travelling from the University of Port Harcourt towards Bayelsa State presents its own nightmare, Igali said. “After Elele, you begin to connect. You pass two kilometres, cross to the other side, go 500 metres, cross back to this side, go one kilometre. It’s like a zigzag. There is no straight five-to-ten-kilometre stretch.”
Contractors are present on many sections, he acknowledged, but work has slowed to a crawl due to payment issues and logistical challenges. On the Calabar route, about 60 per cent of the road has been completed, but the remaining portion is in such bad shape that even the finished sections are deteriorating because contractors are not on site to properly complete the work.
“It is becoming almost impossible to connect within the South-South,” Igali lamented. “From Benin to Auchi, there are so many bad sections. Going from Auchi to Okene, which is an entrance into the South-South, is almost impossible. On the other side, from Benin, once you pass towards Akure, it is also very bad. So, we are in an almost crisis situation.”
The PANDEF chairman cited the recent fifth coronation of the Olu of Warri as a stark example of the crisis. Many guests were stuck for hours on the road; some turned back at Sapele, while others abandoned their journey at Oghara because they could not reach Mosogar.
“Our people are not happy. They may not say it out of respect, but people are very bitter and sad,” Igali said.
He pointed to the case, where fish and other goods were left to rot because the roads were impassable. The situation is compounded by the fact that the South-South is a major transit route for trailers, which block roads as they navigate failed sections, causing gridlocks everywhere.
Igali, who said his position as PANDEF chairman keeps him constantly on the road attending events across Delta, Akwa Ibom, and other states, noted that he sees construction equipment stationed at various points but no workers.
“My inquiry, and my people’s inquiry, shows that many contractors have slowed down the pace, not just because of the rainy season, but due to payment and other logistical issues,” he said.
He called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to take immediate remedial action. He also urged the Minister of Works to personally assess the situation on the ground.
“How do we feel when the money from our area is what sustains the national economy? Every day I see on television the Minister commissioning new roads in other places. Naturally, we don’t feel happy, and something should be done,” Igali said.
“We feel neglected and not fairly treated as a part of the country that contributes so significantly to the national economy. This is an emergency situation. It is not a matter of blindly criticising the government.”
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