Angry youths urge Tinubu, Oborevwori, others to declare state of emergency on Abraka Roads

Angry citizens in Abraka, Delta State, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other stakeholders in the state to immediately declare a State of Emergency on bad roads linking their communities with others.

Abraka is a University community hosting Delta State University, the economic hub of Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State

The community doubles as a tourist destination with aquatic and green attractions.

Dissatisfied with the level of neglect for over 20 years, angry youths from the community have begun an advocacy across the community with a slogan, Abraka Needs Roads, which was launched on August few days ago.

The movement promised to lobby the government and other critical stakeholders at all levels over the failed portions of the roads, lack of internal link roads, drainages and power supply to the community.

Speaking at the official declaration, a Co-convener of the group, Prince Ukuanovwe Godstime, noted that the community has been cut off from the rest of the state without access road to connect other communities, saying that the bad roads have snowballed into a huge disaster grounding all economic activities, causing insecurity by aiding armed robbery and kidnapping in the area.

He said that several students, Professors, counsellors and citizens have been kidnapped, robbed, raped and killed in the area due to the bad state of roads in the community

Ukuanovwe faulted the government at all levels for the over 20-year near neglect of Abraka.

He also noted that the advocacy group is not after any single individual but to lobby the government of the day to develop the community by way of rehabilitating the existing failed roads, link roads and construct fresh roads and drainages.

Ukuanovwe further called on the government and stakeholders to come to the aid of the community and do the needful to avoid a total shutdown and massive protests in the coming days.

Ukuanovwe explained that the one-day exercise was never a protest but a solidarity walks to mark and launch the official operation of the advocacy group.

On his part, another co-convener of the group, Dr Morrison Jessa, reiterated the commitment of the group to sustainable community development.

Jessa, who presented the action plans of the group, explained that the mission of the group was to position Abraka on the world map through active community participation in all-round development such as road networks, functional drainage systems, power supply, security architecture and technological advancement.

Jessa disclosed that in the coming days, the group will make a passionate appeal to relevant stakeholders such as the government and its agencies (NDDC, DESOPADEC and others).

Others are well-meaning individuals, and corporate bodies (the university, banks, hotel owners, oil and gas marketers, NURTW, private transport lines, market unions, churches and other business ventures), through their corporate social responsibility policies.

This, he stated, was part of the action plans of the advocacy group. Jessa therefore enjoined all stakeholders to partner with the group in order to bring development to the people of Abraka.