The House of Representatives has emphasized the need for the Federal High to embark on the reconstruction of the Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor road in Delta State.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Oberuakpefe Anthony Afe and Rep. Ben Rolands Igbakpa, entitled: “Need to Reconstruct Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor Road in Delta State” at plenary on Tuesday.
The lawmakers noted that the importance of road infrastructure in socio-economic development could not be over-emphasized, hence the need to reconstruct the bad Warri- Sapele-Benin road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor road that serve Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States with other South-South oil-producing States in particular and Nigeria generally.
The major road of about 104.5km distance was constructed 27 years ago and was the most preferred route for articulated vehicles used for oil and gas haulage operating from Delta State to other parts of Nigeria, the lawmakers noted.
According to the lawmakers, similar roads in the country that were not as important as the Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor road constructed within the same period had undergone rehabilitation while Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor road, through which the country derives its source of wealth, were left in a total state of disrepair.
They said they were disturbed by the sufferings of the people plying the road and cries of loss of man-hour as “a journey of one hour now takes about eight hours due to the deplorable state of the road, thus paralyzing the socio-economic
activities in the zone.”
Though the road is a federal road and the Governor of Delta State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has expended billions of naira to fix some affected portions of the road, but with the recent pronouncement by the Federal Government that directed States to stop intervening in the Federal roads had made the State to hands off road repairs, thus leaving the road in total disrepair, the lawmakers lamented.
More worrisome, according to the lawmakers, criminals had taken advantage of the deplorable state of the road to rob, kill and kidnap road users and motorists along the highways.
While the House, in its resolution urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to embark on the rehabilitation of the road, the Inspector General of police was also urged to deploy more Police Officers to the affected roads to protect citizens from being attacked.
House Committee on Works was mandated to ensure compliance.
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