Yuletide: Travellers trapped, group wants governments to fix roads

The South-East Youths for Development and Good Leadership and some residents in the South-East region have expressed concerns over the severe hardship faced by travellers returning home for the Christmas season, particularly on major highways linking the region with other parts of Nigeria.

Findings by South-East PUNCH across some major highways linking the region over the weekend showed high influx of vehicular movements while motorists and commuters are currently encountering difficulty in making use of the highways.

The roads include the Lagos–Benin–Agbor bypass, Onitsha-Owerri Road, Okigwe-Owerri Road, Enugu-Abakaliki Road and other access roads linking the region. Their deplorable conditions are causing discomfort, trapping travellers for several hours on the roads.

Addressing journalists on the development on Monday, the Convener of the group, Eze Chukwuka, flanked by the Executive Secretary, Ijeoma Chidi-Nwosu and a co-Convener, Nwarie Ugochukwu, noted that the Federal Government and South-East governors are fully aware of the “strong homecoming culture of Ndigbo”, particularly during Christmas, but they have refused to fix the roads.

Chukwuka urged the federal and state governments to embark on urgently palliative measures to ease the burden of travellers, stressing that travellers coming home for the Yuletide season are stranded for hours and even forced to sleep on the road due to the terrible condition of the highways, thereby raising security and health issues.

This, according to him, has raised serious concerns among stakeholders in the region on the inability of the governors to collaborate with the FG and fix the roads that serve as gateway for the people.

He said, “Reports from our members and concerned citizens indicate that the Lagos–Benin–Agbor bypass, which serve as a major link between Western and Eastern Nigeria, has become almost impassable.

Also, the Onitsha-Owerri Road, Enugu-Abakaliki Road and other access roads in the South-East region have become death traps. Travellers are reportedly stranded for hours and even forced to sleep on the road due to the terrible condition of the highway.

“Similarly, the Abuja–Lokoja Highway, especially around the Lokoja axis, has recorded prolonged traffic gridlock. Motorists heading to the South-East have been stranded for days as a result of the poor state of the road and ongoing, but slow palliative repairs. Many Abuja-based travellers have been advised to consider alternative routes or prepare mentally for extreme delays.

“As groups and critical stakeholders, we note that the FG and South-East governors are fully aware of the strong homecoming culture of Ndigbo, particularly during Christmas. This annual return is not just cultural; it plays a major role in boosting local trade, tourism, and the regional economy.

“But sadly, the joy of homecoming is now being replaced with pain, frustration, and avoidable risks on the highways. We strongly emphasise that planning for Christmas and other festive seasons should go beyond cultural events and celebrations within the states.

“There is an urgent need for the governors of the South-East to act collectively and proactively by engaging the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Works, and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency to ensure that these critical access roads are properly fixed and made motorable.

Such engagements should also involve governors of neighbouring states through which these highways pass, to allow for coordinated and effective intervention that will benefit all affected regions socially and economically.

“We are equally concerned by reports that South-East governors have not met regularly as a bloc, with indications that their last major meeting was in 2024. Without consistent dialogue and collaboration, it becomes difficult to address shared challenges that directly affect the lives and welfare of Ndigbo.”

The group called on the newly-established South-East Development Commission to urgently step in and provide leadership by facilitating regular meetings of South-East governors.

According to the body, the Commission must help drive a unified regional development agenda, including strong advocacy on federal infrastructure that affects the movement, safety, and economic wellbeing of the people of the South-East.

“The suffering of Christmas returnees is avoidable. What is required is leadership, cooperation, and timely engagement with the appropriate federal authorities. SEYDGLE urges South-East leaders to act now, in the collective interest of the region and its people,” it added.

Similarly, some motorists and commuters who spoke to our correspondent in separate interviews, expressed disappointment that both the federal and state governments allowed the roads to degenerate into such deplorable conditions, causing untold hardships for road users.

A stranded commuter on the Benin-Agbor by-pass, who identified himself as Silas Madu said, “We have been stranded on one spot for several hours due to the deplorable conditions of the Benin-Agbor by-pass connecting Asaba en route the South-East. Over the years, the road has been in poor condition and has continued to degenerate further and despite this, the relevant authorities have refused to attend to it.”

Another road user, a commercial driver who gave his name as Uche Ogana said, “This road is a critical road for travellers in the South-East and it has been left abandoned, thereby causing agony. The volume of traffic is always very high during the festive season, and as a result creating endless gridlock, which always worsens whenever a trailer falls.

“It has become almost unmotorable; motorists are no longer safe on the roads and despite this, we still encounter numerous checkpoints where we are extorted. We are begging both the Federal Government and the state governments to come to our rescue.”

Another road user, Kevin Okeke said, “Travelling home during the festive season as become a nightmare due to the poor road conditions. The state governors should collaborate with the Federal Government to see how these roads can be fixed for the good of the citizens.”

However, when contacted on the development, on Tuesday, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Uchenna Orji, expressed the FG’s commitment to restoring the confidence of Nigerians on the road infrastructure nationwide and thus make the people appreciate the transformational power of the renewed Hope administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“Several road projects are ongoing across the country, especially as the dry season set in. And the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that these projects are completed in due course,” he added.