Abia State Govt launches traffic light in Aba amidst deplorable roads condition
Abia State Government has recently installed the first traffic lights in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state.
The facility which is located at Opobo Junction, Aba was installed after the depreciation of the ones previously installed by Late Sam Mbakwe led government in 1980’s along Okigwe Road by Faulks Road, Azikiwe Road by East.
The installation of the traffic light is coming barely less than a year to the winding down of Governor Victor Okezie Ikpeazu’s led administration.
It is observed that from Opobo Junction down to Waterside and beyond is always experiencing gridlock due to influx of people to the commercial city.
Aba, the commercial city of Abia State is one of the busiest cities in Nigeria. The city is not only blessed with business inclined indigenes but intelligent people who can examine foreign goods (shoes, clothings, bags, etc) and produce them into local products popularly known as “Aba made” This has made people from all walks of life to troop into Aba every day to patronise them.
Although it is believed that Aba is the most dirtiest city and that Abia is the only state in Nigeria with very bad road networks, in 2015, when Victor Okezie Ikpeazu was elected as governor of the state, the people had a sigh of relief with hopes that being an Ngwa man, he will change the ugly story of the commercial city.
But to their greatest surprise, Aba is even worst than Okezie Ikpeazu met it.The popular Ngwa Road that leads to New Market (Ahia Ohuru), is at the moment, nothing to write home about and the people still wallow in the mud, hustling and doing other business activities.
To the glory of God, Ngwa Road is now wearing a new look following the intervention of World Bank and the state government through World Bank Assisted Project.
Similarly,the popular Ariaria International Market where it’s roads have cut off the traders from accessing the market, is seriously begging for attention.
A close look at Faulks Road, the route which leads to Ariaria, shows that from Faulks Road by Okigwe Road to the Ariaria International Market, there is no road thus making the people suffer the more and rain causes for such bad roads, and the worst hit city is Aba.
Furthermore,the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road which connects Akwa Ibom and Abia State cannot be forgotten in a hurry as the road has become a death trap where motorists plying the road spend days on the road due to deplorable nature of the road.
Some portion of the road which reconstruction work had commenced since November last year is still like that up till now. One then wonders whether Abia State is cursed with bad road networks.
However, the immediate past governor of the state had once said that the poor road networks in the city can only be fixed by an Ngwa man.
No wonder during the reign of Dr.Godswill Akpabio as the governor of Akwa Ibom State when he told Governor Theodore A.Orji to start road construction from his side (Aba) so that he (Akpabio) will also start same from his side (Akwa Ibom). This was so that they can join the road together which T.A.Orji told him to concentrate on his side.
The Ngwa people, being very fortunate to have their son as the governor of the State and as the dry season sets in, the well meaning people of Abia State especially those from Ngwa Land, Rover have appealed to the governor to intervene on the deplorable state of roads in Abia State especially those in Aba, in order to ameliorate their sufferings.
