Aloysius Attah
24 October 2008
opinion
IT is a settled axiom in the public policy analysis of government that it is the duty of the government to do for the people, what they (people) cannot do for themselves. The provision of basic amenities like pipe-borne water, electricity, good road networks and infrastructure tops the chart in the social contract theory of the government and the governed.
This is why I find it extremely nauseating when our so-called (s)elected governors blow their trumpets and spend millions of tax payers money in advertising the achievements of their administrations. They go about this business of self-advertisement as if they are doing us a favour by performing their duties and also behave as if the projects were financed from their private pockets.
But this write -up is not about governors and their performances; it is about the grand design to cut off Anambra State from the national circuit via the total breakdown of all federal roads in the state.
The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chapter 2 under the fundamental objectives and directive principle of state policy section 15(3a) states: "That the government should provide adequate facilities for and encourage free mobility of people, goods and services throughout the federation".
The environmental and economic objectives as contained in section 16 (2B) and section 20 of the same constitution clearly specified government's duty in this regard and harped on the essence of our road transport system.
But it seems that our Federal Government system is selective in its approach to the discharge of its duties. The condition of Federal roads in Anambra State is not only deplorable and a serious embarrassment to the citizens here, but the hellish experiences commuters pass through in Anambra is better imagined than experienced.
Under normal circumstances, from Upper Iweka - Onitsha to Enugu town is a 50 minutes drive; regrettably today, the 50 minutes journey can last up to five hours or days depending on the type of vehicle one drives or the traffic situation at the moment, courtesy of our bad roads.
The State Governor has rehabilitated most Trunk B roads in the state, but movements along Federal roads here have become such a nightmare that for one to meet up with scheduled appointments becomes highly impossible.
Between upper Iweka to Nkpor as at the last count have 15 over-sized potholes intersected by muddy ponds. Many vehicles and travellers have slept along these dangerous roads when their vehicles got submerged in the mini-ponds.
Recently, the State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, escaped death by divine intervention when his convoy hit another vehicle while the Governor's driver tried to avoid a big pothole.
Victims and casualties recorded along this Onitsha-Enugu Expressway has been uncountable.
Just recently, Igbo people lost one of their prominent sons, Mr. Ike Mbonu a Deputy News Editor with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a road mishap while travelling along this death trap road.
Another businessman, Chief Igbokwe Thomas, last week lost N10 million worth of goods when his 40 feet container loaded with luxurious bus windscreen glasses skidded off the road and fell flat on the ground. This happened when the driver tried to manoeuver and pass through the little space left on the road where a trailer belonging to Dangote transport fell into one of the ditches near MCC Isiokwe junction.
December 2007 is still fresh in our memory. That was when a fuel tanker travelling from Lagos to Enugu Ezike fell and exploded at Our Line bus-stop, Nkpor Onitsha burning its three occupants beyond recognition.
The unfortunate incident happened when the trailer fell headlong into another big pothole resulting in fuel gushing out from it which consequently caught fire and consumed everything on sight immediately. Till today, we remember the open display of emotion and paroxysm of rage people displayed when the charred remains of the three young men were being evacuated from the accident scene.
The question on everybody's lips was where is our government? People decried the ugly situation knowing fully well that most of the accidents would have been avoided if the roads were in good shape. Some have also criticized the state government over its inability to repair the road not knowing that they are federal roads.
Independent investigations have revealed that Governor Obi's administration has made spirited efforts to draw the attention of the Federal Government to these roads or even repair them and wait for the Federal Government's reimbursement later but the opposition have blocked any positive response from the central government.
We are tired of unskilled patch works which the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) carry out every December period on these federal roads with their obsolete equipment. Their shoddy works don't last up till two months before worsening again.
Some pundits allege that the total neglect of these roads by the Federal Government and the basic decay in federal infrastructures in Anambra like other South East states is a continuation of the agenda to cripple the Igbos and make us remain irrelevant in the affairs of Nigeria.
This injustice and neglect has got to stop and like the people of Macedonia in the Bible crying out to St. Paul, we cry out also to the relevant authorities and say - come to Anambra and help us!
Mr. Attah is Chairman, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Anambra State.
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