ON THE DEPLORABLE AND FAILING STATE OF NIGERIAN ROADS – THE BENIN-SAPELE-WARRI HIGHWAY EXAMPLE AND OTHER MAJOR ROADS
November 27, 2020 | News
I find it appalling that currently, most of the federal high ways across the Southern parts of Nigeria are in a terrible state. The popular and ever-busy Benin-Sapele-Warri express road is a very good example of this fact, and so many others out there.
ON THE DEPLORABLE AND FAILING STATE OF NIGERIAN ROADS – THE BENIN-SAPELE-WARRI HIGHWAY EXAMPLE AND OTHER MAJOR ROADS
I find it appalling that currently, most of the federal high ways across the Southern parts of Nigeria are in a terrible state. The popular and ever-busy Benin-Sapele-Warri express road is a very good example of this fact, and so many others out there. Sometimes I wonder if there are any Federal Ministry of work budgets dedicated for the repair of federal roads, and also build other transport infrastructure in this country?
J. F. Kennedy once stated that “America has good roads, not because America is rich, but America is rich because it has good roads.” That depicts the importance of such a basic infrastructure like good network of roads, to the overall development and citizenry enrichment of any nation. But despite the fact that the road system is the most important element in the Nigeria’s transportation network, carrying about 95 percent of all the nation’s goods and passengers, sadly, over the years, and even currently, many of the roads are always in disrepair because of poor maintenance-culture, neglect and years of heavy traffic.
Despite the fact that the importance of having this basic infrastructure for the development of any society, especially in this modern age, cannot be overemphasized, it is appalling to see the level of neglect and abandonment of major Nigerian roads by both the Federal and State Governments. The most worrisome amongst them is the deplorable state of the Warri-Benin Expressway, specifically by Adeje and Opuraja of the said roads, as well as the Warri to Abraka/Warri to Agbor – which are being designated as Federal roads. These so-called federal roads connecting several States in South-South and South East States have assumed the ignoble status of death traps with alarming tragedies across the oil and gas producing States. In fact, passing these roads, Nigerian motorists are left to wonder what offence have they committed against the Government of the day to have left them to travel on such roads with so many death traps of bad spots? The state of said roads is even more dangerous and unbearable in the present rainy season.
The problem we have with such major Federal roads like the said Benin-Warri Express Highway, is that on the one hand, we have the State Government, currently led by Ifeanyi Okowa, claiming to have spent billions of Naira to fix the said Federal road which ought to be fixed by the Federal Government. While on the other hand we have the same Federal Government playing ignorant and oblivious of the sad state of the same road. At the end of the day, the said Express Highway is abandoned to rot further, leaving motorists to daily risk their lives plying on such bad roads. Who then will deliver the people from such situation when both the State and Federal Government are folding their hands and waiting to see who would first move to address the problem? And even with the cries and complaints by Nigerians/motorists who daily travel the said Benin-Warri Highway, the Government of the day at the State and Federal level are still not doing what is expected of them in addressing the problem.
Few months back, the Federal Government was urged to fix all the major dilapidated roads scattered all round the country in a bid to boost the fortunes of the haulage sector. This was the appeal made by Adewale Adetayo, General Manager, SIFAX Haulage & Logistics Limited, who said many potential investors in the business are scared away because of the potential risks their investment will be exposed to as a result of the deplorable conditions of the major highways in the country.
Though Omo-Agege the Deputy Senate President, said something about the bad road 13th October 2020 in the floor of the Senate. But I doubt his sincerity on this statement in the floor of the house. He, Omo-Agege has unlimited access to President Buhari and Amaechi, the Minister of Transport and all relevant authorities in the Federal Government to address this concern.
In other words, while it is imperative for the Federal Government and its relevant authorities to address the issue of certification of haulage vehicles, and also ensure that all trucks on our roads are road worthy, it is also imperative that they focus too on the state of our road networks. This is because no matter how good and road worthy these stated trucks and tankers can be, accidents can still happen if the roads are in a bad state. So, the Federal, State and Local Governments should equally focus more attention on our failing road networks and address them.
The bottom line is that Nigerians need to see a responsive Government that is very concerned about fixing serious problems that affect and put their lives at risk, without wasting any time. the number of trucks and trailers that breaks down daily of these stated roads cannot be counted. Apart from the traffic jams these trucks/trailers cause whenever they breakdown on these Highways due to the bad state of the roads, the goods/merchandise and petroleum products they carry, also pose some level of problems ranging from the scarcity of the said goods in their destined location, and possible fire outbreaks when it is truck laden with petroleum product. Whichever way we look at it, the importance of Nigerians having good network of roads for ease of transportation and movement of vehicles, cannot be overemphasized. As such, fixing and ensuring that all major Nigerian Highways like the ones stated above, are always in good condition, should be top priority by both the Federal and State Government of the day. We demand and ask that the Government, as custodians of our collective wealth, should promptly address the stated roads and all the major Highways in these parts of the country.
Zik Gbemre.
November 27, 2020
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
I find it appalling that currently, most of the federal high ways across the Southern parts of Nigeria are in a terrible state. The popular and ever-busy Benin-Sapele-Warri express road is a very good example of this fact, and so many others out there. Sometimes I wonder if there are any Federal Ministry of work budgets dedicated for the repair of federal roads, and also build other transport infrastructure in this country?
J. F. Kennedy once stated that “America has good roads, not because America is rich, but America is rich because it has good roads.” That depicts the importance of such a basic infrastructure like good network of roads, to the overall development and citizenry enrichment of any nation. But despite the fact that the road system is the most important element in the Nigeria’s transportation network, carrying about 95 percent of all the nation’s goods and passengers, sadly, over the years, and even currently, many of the roads are always in disrepair because of poor maintenance-culture, neglect and years of heavy traffic.
Despite the fact that the importance of having this basic infrastructure for the development of any society, especially in this modern age, cannot be overemphasized, it is appalling to see the level of neglect and abandonment of major Nigerian roads by both the Federal and State Governments. The most worrisome amongst them is the deplorable state of the Warri-Benin Expressway, specifically by Adeje and Opuraja of the said roads, as well as the Warri to Abraka/Warri to Agbor – which are being designated as Federal roads. These so-called federal roads connecting several States in South-South and South East States have assumed the ignoble status of death traps with alarming tragedies across the oil and gas producing States. In fact, passing these roads, Nigerian motorists are left to wonder what offence have they committed against the Government of the day to have left them to travel on such roads with so many death traps of bad spots? The state of said roads is even more dangerous and unbearable in the present rainy season.
The problem we have with such major Federal roads like the said Benin-Warri Express Highway, is that on the one hand, we have the State Government, currently led by Ifeanyi Okowa, claiming to have spent billions of Naira to fix the said Federal road which ought to be fixed by the Federal Government. While on the other hand we have the same Federal Government playing ignorant and oblivious of the sad state of the same road. At the end of the day, the said Express Highway is abandoned to rot further, leaving motorists to daily risk their lives plying on such bad roads. Who then will deliver the people from such situation when both the State and Federal Government are folding their hands and waiting to see who would first move to address the problem? And even with the cries and complaints by Nigerians/motorists who daily travel the said Benin-Warri Highway, the Government of the day at the State and Federal level are still not doing what is expected of them in addressing the problem.
Few months back, the Federal Government was urged to fix all the major dilapidated roads scattered all round the country in a bid to boost the fortunes of the haulage sector. This was the appeal made by Adewale Adetayo, General Manager, SIFAX Haulage & Logistics Limited, who said many potential investors in the business are scared away because of the potential risks their investment will be exposed to as a result of the deplorable conditions of the major highways in the country.
Though Omo-Agege the Deputy Senate President, said something about the bad road 13th October 2020 in the floor of the Senate. But I doubt his sincerity on this statement in the floor of the house. He, Omo-Agege has unlimited access to President Buhari and Amaechi, the Minister of Transport and all relevant authorities in the Federal Government to address this concern.
In other words, while it is imperative for the Federal Government and its relevant authorities to address the issue of certification of haulage vehicles, and also ensure that all trucks on our roads are road worthy, it is also imperative that they focus too on the state of our road networks. This is because no matter how good and road worthy these stated trucks and tankers can be, accidents can still happen if the roads are in a bad state. So, the Federal, State and Local Governments should equally focus more attention on our failing road networks and address them.
The bottom line is that Nigerians need to see a responsive Government that is very concerned about fixing serious problems that affect and put their lives at risk, without wasting any time. the number of trucks and trailers that breaks down daily of these stated roads cannot be counted. Apart from the traffic jams these trucks/trailers cause whenever they breakdown on these Highways due to the bad state of the roads, the goods/merchandise and petroleum products they carry, also pose some level of problems ranging from the scarcity of the said goods in their destined location, and possible fire outbreaks when it is truck laden with petroleum product. Whichever way we look at it, the importance of Nigerians having good network of roads for ease of transportation and movement of vehicles, cannot be overemphasized. As such, fixing and ensuring that all major Nigerian Highways like the ones stated above, are always in good condition, should be top priority by both the Federal and State Government of the day. We demand and ask that the Government, as custodians of our collective wealth, should promptly address the stated roads and all the major Highways in these parts of the country.
Zik Gbemre.
November 27, 2020
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes