By Harry Awurumibe, who was in OWERRI
Motorists plying the busy Owerri through Anara in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area to Okigwe Express way are now spending long hours than necessary on the road.
The delay is as a result of bad portions of the inter-state road which serves commuters traveling from Owerri to Okigwe or Enugu and up North through Anara, Isiala Mbano.
An eyewitness who recently passed through the road from Okigwe township to the state capital, Owerri via Anara in Isiala Mbano LGA said that the trip which normally takes less than two hours took more than six gruelling hours to get to Owerri.
According to Chief Febian Nnamdi, a native of Okohia, Osuh, the ever busy stretch of road has become commuters worst nightmare with the notorious erosion- prone Amaraku market and Eke mee lee market, Akabo in Ikeduru LGA overtaken by flood water.
Now nicknamed “River Eke me lee”, the trunk A federal road, but which was constructed by Moniur Construction Company (MCC) Nigeria Limited during the glorious civilian regime of former Imo State Governor Dee Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe has been cut into two halves by storm water.
As expected, several types of vehicles both new and old have broken down at the bad spots. Also, motorcycles, cars and mini buses no longer pass through these major roads.
Heavy duty vehicles like tipper, trailer, fuel tanker have either been submerged or causing gridlock of great proportion at Amaraku market and Eke me lee market as well as at other failed portions of the road at Umulolo, Amauro, Ezelu- Okwe, Okwelle and Anara road.
Efforts to get the views of the Federal Controller of Works in Imo state or the Supervisor of Roads in the state proved abortive as there was no response to the calls made to ascertain when the road will receive the attention of the relevant government agencies.
