Community protests road design, flooding in Rivers

The in Obio-Akpor Local Council of Rivers State witnessed a major disruption as residents and youths protested against the state’s ongoing Ring Road project.

Led by the Youth President, Amadi Jaycey, the protesters, including elderly women and youths, marched from the community civic centre to the project’s construction site. They blocked the East-West Road, causing significant traffic congestion and halting vehicular movement. The protesters, wielding placards with various inscriptions, expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of the project.

Central to their grievances is the design of the Ring Road, which the community claims is flawed in the Rumuekini section. Addressing newsmen under the Rumuekini flyover, Jaycey criticised the government’s decision to narrow the road from four lanes to one as it approaches their community.

“Instead of continuing with the four lanes from UTC, they are now narrowing it to one lane. Stopping the Ring Road in a sharp bend will cause a lot of accidents in our community,” he said.

The protesters also lamented the flooding caused by newly constructed drainage systems, which they claimed channel rainwater into their homes without a proper outlet. “The drainages are taking water from the East-West Road into our community without providing where the water will go. How can we live in Rumuekini?” Jaycey queried.

He further alleged that several letters sent to the Ministry of Works about these issues had been ignored. As part of their demands, the community called for the dualisation of the road from the junction to Aluu community and the construction of tarred internal roads.

“We have more than 100 roads, but none is tarred,” Jaycey added, vowing that protests would continue until their concerns were addressed.
“If the government does not pay us a visit or invite us, we will continue the protest. We will block the East-West Road, and there will be no vehicular movement.”

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists, Community Liaison Officer Augustine Onyewusara insisted that the community’s concerns were being addressed. He revealed that plans were afoot to redirect drainage water to the Choba River.

Onyewusara also acknowledged the community’s frustration with the abrupt end of the dualisation project near the Rumuekini flyover. “If this road stops at this point, it will cause havoc to the people, especially at the sharp bend,” he said, emphasising that further approvals were needed before the construction company, Julius Berger, could proceed.

Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Elloka Tasie-Amadi, confirmed awareness of the complaints, assuring that steps were being taken to resolve the issues. “We are aware of all that and are addressing the concerns,” he said.