By Emegwoako C. Paschal
Ogoni indigenes from the Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI) took to the streets yesterday, Monday October 17th, in protest of Eleme-Onne portion of the East-West Road in Rivers State, due to the road’s awful condition, which has recently claimed numerous lives.
The group blocked the road for approximately an hour, condemning the federal government’s neglect of the road a year after it was awarded for restoration.
However, the incident last Friday (October 14th) has reignited the movement for protest, as several groups have given the government an ultimatum to begin work or have the road closed down.
During the protest, OLI President Dr. Douglas Fabeke stated that the appalling state of the Eleme part of the East-West Road has been a serious issue for locals and commuters alike.
Fabeke denounced road incidents that resulted in the loss of innocent lives and the ruin of expensive property, claiming that the road has become a death trap for commuters since travelers are always afraid while driving behind heavy-duty trucks from companies.
The president, who is a Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate in Rivers State in the 2023 elections, extended condolences to the families of those who died in a terrible road accident between Friday, October 7 and 14, 2022.
He added that the incidents could have been averted if the government had followed through on its promise to rebuild the road.
The protesters, on the other hand, demand that “the Federal Government of Nigeria immediately begin work on the reconstruction of the road and the remodeling of the existing connecting Aleto bridge, which is near collapsing, failing which the Ogoni people will mobilize again and shut down all forms of transportation and economic activities on the road.”
