The youths of Ohaji in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State have expressed anger at the slow pace of remedial works going on at the Owerri-Port-Harcourt Road by the contractors and threatened a peaceful protest.
The warning was handed down at an extraordinary meeting of the National Council of Ohaji Youths, according to a communique signed by the National President, Comrade Nicholas Tochi Nwosu and the Secretary, Edi Victor Okezuo, made available to TheNigerian Metro on Tuesday.
The youths warned that if their demands were not met within the shortest possible time, they would be forced to mobilise for a peaceful protest to demand justice for their suffering people.
The group maintained that they would not fold their arms while their people suffer due to the government’s neglect and contractor’s inefficiency.
The communique partly read, “The remedial work done so far on the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road is inadequate, as several sections remain impassable, leading to frequent accidents, vehicle breakdowns, and economic losses impending disaster in the rainy season.”
If the road remains in this poor condition, the coming rains will completely cut off the route, crippling transport and business activities in Ohaji, Egbema, Oguta, and beyond”.
The youths stated that the contractor handling the project had “shown a lack of urgency, despite the worsening condition of the road” and wondered why the relevant supervisory agency had failed to perform its statutory task.
They said they were gravely concerned over what they described as the “unacceptable delay in project execution, the deteriorating road condition, and extremely slow pace of work” on the road.
According to the group, after a thorough assessment of the ongoing remedial work at the Umuapu section of the Owerri–Port Harcourt Expressway, awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission, they were frustrated with the delay and slow pace of work by the contractor, especially with the fast approaching rainy season.
They demanded immediate acceleration of the work, strict monitoring by the Niger Delta Development Commission, and urgent repairs on the critical sections noting that “while full repairs are ongoing, the worst-hit portions of the road should be urgently stabilised to provide immediate relief to road users.”
According to the group, there must be a stakeholder engagement involving the NDDC, the contractor, and community representatives to address their concerns and agree on the way forward.
