15102019 - What Benin, Niger must do to get borders reopened — FG

Federal roads in S-South: Citizens reject FG’s
decision not to refund states for repairs
Continues on Page 29
Commodore Idongesit Nkanga
(retd), blamed the condition of the
roads on the unitary system of
government, saying there was so
much responsibility on the central
government.
His words: “One of the three
pillars of restructuring is fiscal
federalism. That on its own will
put more resources in the hands
of the federating units because
they will have the opportunity to
explore and exploit the resources
in their domain and have the
opportunity to develop
themselves.
“You are talking about federal
roads. We have 65 items in the
exclusive list of the central
government. If you remove some
of the items, there will be less
responsibility on the Federal
Government and more
responsibility on the federating
units.
“We can never move forward the
way the structure is because the
foundation is wrong. That is why
you see so many states going into
repairing of the federal roads and
asking for refunds. That is not the
way we should run the country.”
FG doesn't cares
about S’South—Umoette
A former youth leader of Uruk
Uso in Ikot Ekpene Local
Government Area, Mr. Manasseh
Umoette, stated: “I feel sad that
we do not have government that
is passionate about the
development of the country,
especially the South-South
region. This is one region that is
neglected by the government at
the centre in terms of road.”
Umoette complained that
several appeals to the Federal
Government to fix the Ikot
Ekpene-Aba Road have not
yielded results, noting that award
for the construction of the road
only ends on the radio, television
and pages of newspapers.
His words: “Government has
been paying lip service to fixing
these roads. Are we supposed to
be crying and begging
government to come and repair
its roads?
“And this particular road has
gone so bad that if Akwa Ibom
people must go to Aba through
THE TEAM
Emma Amaize - Editor
Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa
Jimitota Onoyume- Warri
Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City
Festus Ahon- Asaba
Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt
Emmanuel Una- Calabar
Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri
Paul Olayemi- Sapele
Harri Emmanuel- Uyo
Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo
Ike Uchechukwu-Calabar
Davies Iheamnachor-P’Harcourt
Emem Idio- Yenagoa
Brisibe Perez- Ughelli
Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor
Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh
Chancel Sunday - Bomadi
Alemma Aliu- Benin City
Nath Onajoke- Asaba
Chijioke Nwankpa- P'Harcourt
that road, they must use either a
bicycle or commercial motorcycles
because no vehicle can ply that
road in its current state, not even
the heavy vehicles like trucks,
tipper-lorries.
“The economic importance of
that road to our people cannot be
overemphasised because Aba is
a commercial nerve centre.
Majority of Akwa Ibom people go
to Aba on daily basis to do
business. The traders are most
affected and the rate of motorcycle
accidents on that road is
alarming. Many of them have
lost their lives, while others have
lost their limbs in motorcycle
accidents.”
Our ordeal—A’Ibom
drivers, commuters
Similarly, ABC Transport driver,
who identified himself as Mr.
Evarestus, lamented his horrible
experience on the Ikot Ekpene/
Obot Akara-Umahia Road for
over 10 years, urging the Federal
Government to allow states to
handle all roads.
He said: “I left Enugu by 8a.m.,
arrived Umuahia by 10.45a.m.
and then from Umahia to Uyo by
12:35a.m. Imagine the number of
hours. That federal road is
something else. We have suffered
a lot and government is not doing
anything about it. Every regime
will come during campaign and
promise us that they will do the
road, but they will not do it. After
eight years, another regime will
come to give us the same
promise.
BAYELSA…
THE JERUSALEM OF IJAW
NATION
By Emem Idio
OTUOKE—FOR Rev (Mrs)
Ethel Diete-Spiff, her love
for the people of Ogbia extraction,
particularly the Oloibiri clan,
Bayelsa State, where Nigeria first
struck oil in commercial quantity,
is legendary. From the very first
day she visited the site of the
country’s first oil well, about three
decades ago, her love for the area
has been unwavering.
For 30 years she has been
working with all the three tiers of
government through her nonprofit
organisation, Mothers for
Peace Initiative, MIP, to see to the
realisation of a befitting
monument and museum at the
site of the first oil well.
While the museum is not getting
desired attention of government
in spite of her spirited efforts and
advocacy, she has channeled her
energy and resources in giving
youths of the area a sense of
belonging through various youth
capacity-building ventures.
Worried by the rate of
unemployment and lack of
“I have been using that road for
10 to 11 years now. It started
going bad gradually. Every year,
you notice one failed portion.
Sometimes we use bush path.
There was a day that I used a
bush-path and a Police boss and
an escort were using the same
route. My vehicle was in front,
and they said I should clear to
the side that was impassable to
enable them pass and I told them
no, that my vehicle will sink.
“They forced me because they
were carrying gun and as I did
as they asked me to, my vehicle
sank. I called them to push my
vehicle out, you can imagine they
had to put their legs in the water
and helped push my vehicle out.
I did not even have time to tell
them thank you because I crossed
to the other side so that their own
vehicle can pass.
“And this happened about
6p.m.”
FG should hands
—Off roads
Continuing, the veteran
commecial driver said: “I want to
say that Federal Government
should hands off roads. Let the
state government be responsible
for doing roads. Federal
Government cannot be in Abuja
and know what we are suffering
here; it is not possible.
“I strongly believe only states
can help to tackle this road
problem issue. Recently, Federal
Government said they cannot
refund money to any state
government that did Federal
Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, , 2019—29
roads, so it is better they allow
state government to take care of
all the roads.”
He said road transportation
business has gone down in Akwa
Ibom State, as many vehicles that
used to ply Uyo to Owerri, Enugu,
Port-Harcourt and Warri are not
there anymore, adding that even
the few on ground hardly get
enough passengers.
His words: “As we speak, it is
almost time for ABC bus to leave
for Enugu, but there are only few
passengers. This is because
when you carry passengers and
ply the horrible roads, next time,
they do not want to travel on road.
Therefore, the terrible condition
of the road has reduced the rate
people travel.
“Some now prefer to use their
phones to do their businesses.
Sometimes, they waybill their
goods just to avoid the bad road
because it is a nightmare. So I am
advocating that roads should be
left for state governments.”
Unsafe and dangerous
—Kingsley
A public servant and a motorist,
who simply identified himself as
Mr. Kingsley, an indigene of Imo
State, residing in Uyo, lamented
that the bad condition of federal
roads linking the state to
neighbouring states exposes
commuters/transporters to risks.
According to him, “Obot Akara-
Umuahia and Ikot Ekpene
Umuahia roads are not safe. If
you are going through Umuahia,
you have to divert to Isiala Ngwa,
instead of the normal Ikwuano
road. The roads are eyesore. They
need urgent attention and they
have gone beyond what FERMA
can handle.
“The rate at which Dangote
trucks fall on the Ikot Ekpene-
Umuahia Road is very high. In
addition, there is no day that we
My mission to make N-Delta youths self-sufficient
—Rev (Mrs) Diete-Spiff
Rev (Mrs.) Diete-Spiff presenting certificate to one of the
participants.
entrepreneurship among youths
of the area, Rev (Mrs) Ethel
Diete-Spiff, wife of first Military
Administrator of old Rivers State,
His Royal Majesty, King Alfred
Diete-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of
Twon Brass, recently organised a
four-day entrepreneurship retreat
for youths.
The retreat, facilitated by the
Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Agency,
SMEDAN, and the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency,
NDLEA, had students and youths
from Ogbia Local Government
Area and its environs as
beneficiaries
Mrs Diete-Spiff commended
SMEDAN and other groups for
the collaboration, saying at the
end of the retreat, the participants
should organise themselves into
smaller groups and form
cooperatives through which they
can access the needed finances
to start their businesses.
She added: “Our youths do not
just represent our future, they are
our present too, and they have
the energy to power our economy
and the minds to innovate and
succeed in every sphere of life.
My mission for the Niger Delta
youths is to help them to be selfreliant.
“When we do not create
avenues for them to channel their
do not record two or three
accidents on these roads.
“Moreover, most times, if you
reach the bad spots you will
always see not less than 10
vehicles, including commercial
vehicles, parked due to damage.
Those in transport sector change
engines regularly because of the
bad. It is affecting everybody.
“Some of the hoodlums now
take advantage of the situation to
attack, rob passengers, especially
vehicles from long distances like
Lagos, Abuja, Warri that arrived
the failed portions very late in the
night or those that are stranded
because their vehicle broke down
there.
“The situation has also made
cost of living very high in the
state, because when those into
business travel and return, they
add much money to the goods
because of increased
transportation fare and
sufferings on the road. The
consumers now purchase the
goods at very high prices.”
Travelling on federal road
makes me sick— Daniel
A businesswoman, Mrs
Uduak, said sometimes, two
people sit on one motorcycle so
that they can afford the transport
fare from Ikot Ekpene to Aba on
a business trip.
A passenger at the AKTC
Motor Park Uyo, Daniel, said:
“The last time I used the Ikot
Ekpene Umuahia Road was
sometime in 2018. The condition
of that road discourages me from
travelling regularly. When I
remember how bad it is, the delay,
the shaking, it makes me feel sick
to travel.
“Government should do
something about that road. We are
not animals. Government should
be concerned about the plight of
its citizens.”
energy, they will resort to crime
and violence that we are currently
witnessing. This is why Mothers
Initiative for Peace, MIP,
organised this programme to
contribute to government's effort
at addressing youth
unemployment and the root
causes of youth restiveness and
unemployment, which will to a
large extent prevent crime and
violence in our society. The
training underscores
government’s commitment to
addressing these perennial
problems.”
One of the participants and
Youth President of Otuebula I
community in Ogbia Local
Government Area, Loveday Ikisi-
Jackson, commended the
Foundation for reaching out to the
youths with the retreat, and
expressed the satisfaction that the
training would spur the youths
interest in entrepreneurship.
He said: “Entrepreneurship is
now the most important thing and
we have benefited from the
training, particularly those of us
that are already into one form of
business or the other, because we
have been educated on how to
grow our business as well as
access funds.
“We are grateful to MIP
Foundation for this well-thought
out initiative and we urged other
well-meaning organisations to
take a cue from them.”