Imo is one of the states in the country with sad tales of poor roads made so by mismanagement and natural factors. CHIDIEBERE IWUOHA reports on how deception has taken the state backwards in roads infrastructure.
The current state of roads in Imo state has become a serious concern to residents, especially now that it rains heavily almost on a daily basis.
When Senator Hope Uzodimma mounted the leadership rostrum in January 2020 on his 3R Mantra of Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction baptised with the ‘Shared Prosperity’ slogan, sons and daughters of Imo heaved a sigh of relief, believing that all would be well after all; however, events in the recent past have shown that all those were mere political statements.
Governor Uzodinma had always claimed that he inherited a number of bad roads from the immediate government.
At that time, the governor exposed the previous administrations, especially the Owelle Rochas Okorocha-led government, saying that he inherited bad roads all over the state from him. He went further to say that Okorocha wasted Imo’s resources in constructing inferior roads which were then popularly described in sarcastic term within the state as ‘China roads’.
It could be recalled that many roads constructed by Okorocha had deteriorated before he left office in 2019. When Imolites complained then, he blamed the rains which he claimed were acidic in nature and managed to calm them down by saying that his son inlaw, Uche Nwosu, would be coming to repair or put them in better shape as governor in 2019, when eventually elected, a move that never was as Nwosu was denied access to the Imo Government House because of the Supreme Court judgment which ruled that he had double candidacy status in that election.
On assuming duty as governor, Senator Uzodimma showed signs of putting all Imo roads in good shape. He started by calling on those contractors who were handling all road contracts under the seven months’ administration of Chief Emeka Ihedioha to continue as according to him, “Government is a continum.” Investigation however reveals that while some obeyed, others did not. This made him to re-award some road contracts and works started in earnest.
With the ones he handled himself, there were signs of seriousness as the materials used showed the roads would be solid, but some months after the construction were done, it does appear both Uzodinma and and Okorocha are in the same bus as an angry residents say there is no difference between the immediate past administration and the current one in terms of roads construction in the state.
Residents cry out
Residents who spoke to Blueprint on the deplorable state of roads in Imo, said there is hardly any road in the state that is passable or motorable. According to them, the bad state of the roads have put their vehicles into a permanent state of disrepair. A resident from Umuguma, Owerri West LGA who goes by name, Oparaji, disclosed that their youth had to protest over the deplorable state of the World Bank/Umuguma Road the other day because each time it rained, the road would turn into a river and become impassable, thereby putting residents or pedestrians in a state of mess. He also disclosed that a pregnant woman suddenly fell into labour along Umuguma road because the vehicle she was travelling in accidentally went into some potholes while the driver was avoiding them.
Another resident who goes by the name Obichere living at World Bank Housing Estate, was dismayed that the World Bank Road reconstructed by Senator Hope Uzodimma some months ago which the commissioner for works, Mr Ralph Nwosu bragged about as a solid one just like the Port Harcourt Road have started wearing off at both sides even though it was massively supported with numerous bags of cement and laterite while the construction of the roads were going on.
According to Obichere, “We are now confused because we do not know whether the former governor, Rochas Okorocha is better than Uzodimma in terms of road construction. They have all disappointed our people because they don’t have what it takes to deliver the desired dividends of democracy to the people. When Uzodimma came on board, he criticised Okorocha’s wasteful spending and deplorable roads which he inherited from him and assured that he would rectify things, but now, the reverse is the case as they are now in the same boat.”
Residents around Owerri/Orlu Road and Owerri/Okigwe Road being reconstructed by a German company, Craneberg are not also pleased with the state of work on the roads. They have bitterly complained that some areas currently undergoing construction have already worn off even as the construction work is midway from being finished.
“I don’t know whether they have done these parts or whether they would come back to do them again”, Chief Olugbuo living on Owerri/Orlu road stated in confusion. While Mgbemena who owns a palmwine joint on Owerri/Okigwe road said, “It will be difficult to get it right with the way the construction company is going about it.”
Other roads that have become a source of worry to Imo residents are the Nekede/Ihiagwa Road which leads to Federal Polytechnic Nekede and Federal University of Technology (FUTO). The polytechnic end of the road has been done, even though there were some patches on the road weeks later. However, while the FUTO side is not yet done, the MCC/Uratta Road which was inherited from Okorocha is still far from completion as work there is slow.
Investigation by Blueprint reveals that while Chukwuma Nwoha road is now motorable, there are mountains of packed sands or rubbish gathered from the construction which are still blocking the way as though construction is still on. In the hinterland, the Umueze Ogwa/Orodo road, Iho/Nworieubi road, Ahiara/Mbano road, Awaka/Uratta road etc, all are begging for attention.
Assurances of Governor Uzodimma and works commissioner
Meanwhile, the state governor, Senator Uzodimma and his works commissioner, Mr Ralph Nwosu have assured all sons, daughters and residents of Imo that as soon as the rains are over, all roads in the state would be made motorable. It would be recalled that this was the same statement they, especially the commissioner, made sometime last year but nothing much was achieved eventually.
