With the Federal Government seemingly unperturbed about the deplorable state of the East-West Road, residents and commuters have decried the risk involved in traveling through Aleto-Alesa section in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, describing it at a death trap.

Some of them who spoke with Kristina Reports on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, lamented the deplorable condition of the road, calling on the relevant authorities to act quickly to save them the agony of traveling though that section of the road.

One of them, Godknows Osaro regretted that for 15 years that road has been in that bad shape, explaining that the failed section of the East-West Road, which is connected by a bridge from Eleme to Port Harcourt, is stressed by the weight of several vehicles including heavy duty trucks belonging to companies there traversing it.

“Multinational companies are operating in Eleme. The high degree of vehicular movement is due to the presence of multinational companies. In Onne, we have Nigerian Ports Authority, Chevron, and Nigeria Customs, amongst others. In Eleme, we have the refinery, and the biggest fertilizer producing company in West Africa, Indorama Petrochemicals.”

“That failed section of the East-West Road is a death trap to humans. On a daily basis, people die; either a container falls on a vehicle or failed vehicles run into the river.”

Describing the state of the road as “comatose”, Osaro highlighted some factors responsible for the deplorable situation.

“The very first reason why that road is still like that is bad leadership both at the federal and state government. Rivers State is regarded as the best state because of the presence of crude oil, and the centralization of the multinationals.”

“Both past and imminent government have failed to realise the importance of that road and the plight of the people, not just the company staff members, but the business people and market women.”

He pointed out the issue of poor community relations, asserting that companies in that axis should have taken the reconstruction of the failed section as a corporate social responsibility since their vehicles are commuting there on a daily basis.

“What they have been doing over time is a remedial work, some parches which can only bear for months. Some of these companies can come together and fix the road because they are the major commuters of the road.”

Osaro blamed the communities for failing to draw the attention of the government and multinationals to their plight, noting that inducements, which are mostly handouts to these community leaders by the companies, have remained a major cog in the wheel of mobility for development.

“Some of the politicians and community leaders’ children are schooling in UK, Canada and so they are not bothered about what is happening; whether people are dying on a daily basis, not looking at the common good of the road.”

“We heard from Senator Godswill Akpabio that the reconstruction of the East-West Road was awarded but some Rivers politicians actually frustrated the efforts of the contractor to mobilize to site.”

“The road has been awarded to RCC for full commencement of work on that road, but the problem is the rate of the work is too slow.”

Speaking also on the issue, an indigene of Akpajo, who preferred anonymity, said the road has been like that since she was born, stressing that “till now, nothing has been done. My mum cannot go to Agbonchia to sell because too many times she has been involved in different accidents”.

A market woman, who also pleaded anonymity, begged the relevant authorities to come to their aid, saying that “there’s never a day that that road doesn’t get busy. I have tried leaving my house as early as 4am so that I don’t have to encounter traffic on my way to the market because it can be so tiring”.

“But hoodlums have taken advantage of the damaged road and nab peoples phones and snatch bags. I don’t know what or which one to even complain about.”