By Edeki Igafe
Youths of Udu Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta have called on the State Government to prevail on the contractor handling the repair of the collapsed ever-busy Ovwian-Udu Road to resume work.
The people made the call on Tuesday, when they staged a peaceful protest to draw governments’ attention to the poor condition of the road.
They complained that the only major road leading to the council’s headquarters at Otor Udu had been abandoned.
They also called on the State Government to fix other roads in the LGA that were in a state of disrepair.
The protesters converged on a failed portion of the road at Ovwian Community, causing heavy traffic gridlock.
They displayed placards with different inscriptions, including “End marginalisation of Udu,” among others.
One of the spokesmen for the protesters, Mr James Mudiaga, said that the major road leading to the council’s secretariat belongs to the State Government.
“There is no good road in Udu LGA. We call on the State Government to come to our rescue.
“We are suffering and cannot bear it again.
“This is the reason we decided to embark on this peaceful protest,” Mudiaga said.
Another spokesman, Mr Goodluck Mukoro, also appealed to Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori to come to the aid of the LGA.
“We need road. Save Udu now. Governor come to our rescue, Udu has been abandoned,” Mukoro said.
Also, a commuter-bus driver, Mr Patrick Onoriode, said the dilapidation on the roads was causing a lot of wear and tear on their vehicles.
“I am a commercial bus driver and I visit mechanic workshop each time I ply this road.
“The politicians only respect the people when they need our votes.
“It is shameful that we have this type of road in Udu,” Onoriode said.
The protesters also called on the Niger Delta Development Commission and other interventionist agencies in the state to intervene in the council’s plight.
They vowed to block and occupy the road until the government intervened in fixing it.
According to them, it is disheartening that the State Government and the contractor handling the road has refused to listen to their plight.
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