From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The federal roads maintenance engineer of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Ebonyi State Field Office, Akinyemi Ojo, in this interview speaks on the deplorable nature of some federal roads in the state, challenges of maintaining them and other issues.
What is the state of federal roads in Ebonyi State?
The state of federal roads in Ebonyi State when I assumed duty, some have failed, some are in good condition while some few percentages are in dilapidated stage, very bad and some are even cut off and have not been attended to over the years. We have written some reports on the roads and submitted which I believe very soon, attention will be given to them by our agency.
Can you mention some of those federal roads in Ebonyi State that are very bad?
Yes, the Okposi/Nara Road, that is Okposi -Nara-Enugu border road after Isu, if you are going down towards Enugu border is very bad. We even have some washout along that road and there are very dangerous which we have even reported to our agency. Then, Abakaliki/Oferekpe road is also bad and we have a washout along that road too. The road along Oso Edda-Abia State border, Oso Edda/Nguzu/Ohafia is also bad. We have two dangerous washouts there too, there is a very dangerous washout there that will take life. We have reported it and very soon, it will get attention from the agency by God’s grace. Ishiagu/Mile 2/Ezechukwu/Abia State border road is also very bad, there are very dangerous points there too. Afikpo/Okigwe road is another bad road that needs urgent attention. The road is very old now and it is more than 20 years. That road was constructed when Anyim Pius Anyim was the Senate President, he attracted that road when he was Senate President. A road is supposed to have life span of minimum of 15 years but that road is more than 15 years now and a lot of periodic maintenance have been carried out on that road and that is even what has sustained it till these 20 years. Now, that road needs a total overhauling, so that road needs attention too.
Is it the only road that needs total overhauling in Ebonyi?
Yes, I think that particular road is the oldest now when we check every other road in the state. Oso Edda road is not old like the Afikpo/Okigwe road and it is not long they worked on that road, Abakaliki/Afikpo road, I don’t know when last they worked on it but it also needs maintenance. Afikpo/Okigwe road, I think, it needs total restructuring with what I saw on that road when I visited it.
What is the implication of the dilapidated, old roads?
The implication of old road is that if you continue to do maintenance on it, it’s like using a new cloth to patch an old garment, it will tear in another place. Anywhere we have worked there, you will see that it will be sustained but some meters away from there, you will see another failure. So, patching old cloth with a new garment will be causing another tear in another place because it is already old. Yes, that place we patch will stand but another one will tear along the line. That’s the implication of an old road because maintenance will not be really noticed there because as you’re coming out of site repairing that small portion that have been approved for maintenance, a longer portion is tearing.
So, what is the way out?
The Minister of Works is from this state. He is in the pipeline of awarding the Afikpo/Okigwe highway for dualization. They are proposing that road for dualization, but what I don’t know is whether it has been approved. But notwithstanding, we have a small job there, it’s not much. At least, we can attend to like two spots of those dangerous spots there. Two have been marked out and we will attend to it very soon, to maybe in the next three weeks. We have taken the contractor that will do the job to the site, it’s just a little money that we need to do the job.
There is a twin bridge on the Abakaliki/Enugu highway that was collapsing including the road itself you people fixed few weeks ago…
Some months back, we had a serious washout there, life-threatening washout there but to glory of God, our agency have been able to approve money to make that reinstatement washout. We have repaired the washout, made provision for the retaining wall and filled back the eroded place. We did our work there and we have asphalted the place. We have about two projects on that particular place. There is a spot on the road that people are having accidents on that bridge. So, we have been able to fill this pothole on that road. We are commencing another one on that same Abakaliki/Enugu highway. We have some patching of the concrete road that was constructed some years back. There is area that develops fault there. We are now attending to that road.
What are the challenges FERMA is facing in the state?
The major challenge is fund. We all know what the economy of the nation is, we are struggling to survive it. So, the major challenge we have is fund but we are doing our work as an agency by making sure that we report bad spots, the state of the federal roads in the state because we have data on every road and we have proposals to take care of them. But we only attend to the ones they fund, that is the issue. So, the challenges are just the funds.
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